Fedor Andreyevich Makhnov was the tallest man in the Russian Empire. His foot was 51 centimeters, and his palm 32 centimeters. The young peasant weighed 182 kilograms and was reputed to be very strong. According to some reports, he was the tallest man on Earth in history. His height was exactly 2 meters 85 centimeters.

Childhood Fedi

He was born in a peasant family in the Staroselsky volost of the Vitebsk province (now Belarus) on June 6, 1878. His parents, as well as brothers and sisters, were taller than average, but they were not giants. Fedor, in his youth, grew to 2.5 meters. Due to the fact that the newborn was too large, his mother could not endure a difficult birth and died. Grandfather and grandmother took the little orphan to their upbringing. But at the age of 10, his father took the grown-up boy back to his place.
Helping his father with the housework, Fedya grew stronger and hardened. Not large in age, he could easily drag a peasant cart loaded with hay onto a mountain or raise an adult to a dispute. Neighbors often used his opportunities in building houses, where he helped raise logs.
At a young age, the boy was hired by a local landowner to clear the river of boulders. They interfered with the normal functioning of the mill.

a 12-year-old child could fit in his boot

When the young giant turned 14 years old, he began to bang his head on the ceiling, had to rebuild the hut. They had to make an individual bed for Fedor, but the blacksmith delayed the fulfillment of the order, and the boy managed to outgrow it. Once a giant teenager who worked part-time at the Polotsk Bazaar in Vitebsk was seen by Otto Bilinder, the owner of a nomad circus. It is worth considering that this was the end of the 19th century, while the performances of miracle people were enormously popular. The German persuaded the family of Fedor to lower him to Germany.

he pacified his few offenders by putting their hats under the logs of the baths or laying them on the skates of the roofs

Work in the circus

Circus Poster

So the young giant came to Europe. First, Fyodor studied the German language and at the same time mastered the circus craft. He learned to effectively unbend horseshoes, break bricks with his palm. At the age of 16, Fedor Makhnov signed a contract for work in the circus. The audience was delighted. People came to performances not so much to look at tricks, but just to see with their own eyes a giant whose height was more than 2.5 meters. Fedor Makhnov, lying, easily raised the platform with a small orchestra.

Fedor Andreevich Makhnov in Europe

He performed in Germany, Great Britain and the USA, where he met with President Theodore Roosevelt.

In Europe, the giant was a real wonder and favorite of the public

It is worth noting that it was difficult for him to travel, since all transport, hotels, catering facilities were designed only for people of standard sizes. After nine years of work in the circus, he returned to his native village. With the money earned, the giant bought the land and his house from the landowner, which he rebuilt for himself. It is worth noting that Otto Bidinder always continued to help him. The owner of the circus and the artist remained friends.

A family

Upon arrival at home, Makhnov bought the estate and rebuilt everything to fit his height. He also furnished everything with appropriate furniture. By the way, building materials were sent by the same Binder from Germany. later, the village in which Fyodor’s family lived was called the “Giant Farm”. This is the former village of Gorbachi (now the Grodno region of Belarus).

Fedor was a very kind man, he loved his children, he was always ready to help the villagers

After some time, Fedor married a local teacher Efrosinya Lebedeva. Her height was more than 180 cm, but the wife still looked like a baby next to her husband. Five children appeared in the family.
When the supply of money came to an end, the giant again went to Europe, where he was met with constant success. After the speeches, Fyodor Makhnov and his wife were invited to social events. Even there, Fyodor managed to amuse the audience: he lit cigarettes directly from the chandeliers. Several times the police tried to arrest him for hooliganism or non-compliance with the contract. But each time Makhnov was released, because there simply wasn’t a cell in which he would fit.

Giant food

Each meal consisted of several kilograms of food, and Makhnov could oversleep for 24 hours. The giant's food was 4 meals a day. For example, breakfast consisted of a set of 8 round loaves of bread and butter, 20 eggs and 2 liters of tea. For lunch, 1 kg of potatoes, 2.5 kg of meat and 3 liters of beer went. Dinner consisted of 2.5 kg of meat, 3 loaves of bread, 2 liters of tea and a bowl of fruit. And before going to bed he was served another 1 loaf of bread, 15 eggs and 1 liter of tea or milk.

Body parameters

His foot was 51 centimeters, and his palm 32 centimeters. The young peasant weighed 182 kilograms and was reputed to be very strong. According to some reports, he was the tallest man on Earth in history. His height was exactly 2 meters 85 centimeters. And despite the fact that the official world record is 2 meters 72 centimeters (American Robert Wadlow).

Death

Fyodor Andreyevich died on August 28 (September 10), 1912, at the age of 34. Presumably from lung disease, although there are other versions. Someone said that the giant was poisoned by rivals or envious, but no evidence is given of this. He was buried on a graveyard outside the village of Gorbachi. In 1939, his ashes were recovered for scientific research. But the coffin and monument were left in the same form. You can still read on the obelisk: “Fedor Andreyevich Makhnov. Born on June 6, 1878. He died on August 28, 1912. The tallest man in the world. Growth was 3 arshins 9 pips. ”

3 arshins of 9 inches are 254 centimeters, this figure was taken from the contract of 16-year-old Fedor. But after 16 years, Fedor Makhnov continued to grow and, presumably, could add another 31 cm, reaching 285 cm. The giant’s wife, Efrosinya, wanted to correct the wrong figure on the monument, but she was prevented by the First world Warand then the revolution. Unfortunately, no official evidence of such a giant growth has been preserved. There is a version that 285 cm is an indicator that was indicated on posters and was taken taking into account the Cossack papakha and high-heeled boots. These elements of clothing were certainly used during Fedor's performances. The only reliable source to judge the growth of the giant are intravital photographs. However, comparing Fedor with other objects of known height shown in the photographs, we can conclude that, at least at the time of shooting, the giant’s growth did not exceed 240 cm.Moreover, during the time of Fedor Makhnov, official measurements were not made, but since he performed on a tour of Europe, the organizers could well exaggerate his growth. According to other sources, Fedor’s height was 239 cm.
On June 26, 2010 in Vitebsk, the Vitebsk city executive committee and the newspaper "Vitbichi" organized an open city competition for the tallest man in memory of Fedor Makhnov "The Vitebsk Giant." The winner of the competition among men was Vitebsk resident Alexei Andreyanov with a height of 208 cm. Among women, the highest was Natalya Rusanova - 197.5 cm.

• Fedor managed to bring many innovations to the agriculture. Almost the first in the district, he actively began to use machines related to agriculture, which bought in Germany.
• When traveling by boat through the Atlantic, I had to redo the cabin of the ship under Fedor.
• Makhnov family visited almost all european countries. They were even in the Vatican and communicated with the Pope himself. According to family tradition, he presented his golden cross to the daughter of the tallest man in the world.

Photo of the tallest man in the Russian Empire

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Fedor Andreyevich Makhnov - the tallest man in the world in history

The tallest man that the world has ever seen is considered Fedor Makhnov. His height was 285 centimeters with a weight of about 182 kg.

Fedor Andreevich Makhnov was born on June 6, 1878,. Most big man in the world, growth was 3 arshins of 9 points. On the monument, 3 arshins 9 points were mistakenly written. This is almost 30 cm less than the actual one. This growth was indicated in the first contract of a growing boy 16 years old when he was first invited to work in the circus. The wife of Fedor wanted to correct the mistake, but the outbreak of the First World War prevented. The actual growth of Makhnov was recorded by the Warsaw anthropologist Lushan in 1903 - 285 cm. The French biologist J. Rostan in his book “Life” and the Russian science fiction writer Alexander Belyaev also confirmed this.

Fedya's parents were of ordinary height. The boy was born very large, and his mother died during childbirth. Fedya was brought up by his grandfather, who loved him very much. By the age of 16, Fedor “jumped” for two meters. During the period of the most active growth, he could oversleep for more than 24 hours in a row.


The guy was distinguished not only by growth, but also by strength. He worked a lot in the field, helped the blacksmith. At eight years old, he could raise an adult with one hand, sometimes harnessed instead of a horse. By nature, he was kind and welcoming. He played the harmonica well.

One tall guy was seen at the Polotsk market in Vitebsk by the German Otto Bilinder, the owner of the circus. He persuaded his father to let Fedor go to Germany, to work in a circus. Otto took care of the education of his strongman and paid him well.
In Berlin, Otto Belender settled the guest at home, hired teachers to improve his educational level (he had only finished 3 classes before), taught circus tricks. Fedor smashed the bricks with his palm; unbent and bent horseshoes and thick nails; lying on his back, he raised a platform with three musicians along with instruments. But people came to the circus to look first of all at the artist himself - the real Gulliver. And he grew by leaps and bounds. By 25 years old reached 2 m 85 cm.


Archival information about the stay of the giant Makhnov in the German capital in 1904 has been preserved. The Germans were ready to fulfill any whims of the Belarusian gulliver. In the middle of winter, Fedor wanted strawberries - they delivered him to him. In Holland, in Paris, he repeatedly violated the contract, once they wanted to put him in charge of hooliganism, but the Paris police cells did not accommodate people of such height.

While in Germany, Fedor always wanted to return home. When he accumulated enough money, he left for his native Kostyuki, despite the fact that the owner persuaded him to stay. Living in his father’s house did not allow growth. At this time, the landowner Krzhizhanovsky was just selling his estate. Makhnov bought it with the land, he rebuilt the house in terms of its parameters. And decided to get married. It turned out to be the hardest question! Girls of ordinary growth did not dare to marry such a thug. And where to find him to match? Finally, the whole world found a bride - teacher Efrosinya Lebedeva. For the girl, she was tall - 1 m 85 cm. She was two years younger than Fedor, but survived her husband by 35 years, died in 1947. We played a wedding. In 1903, their daughter Maria was born, in 1904, their son Nikolai. They lived together, in love and harmony. Fedor was a kind man, loved his children, helped peasants. And from Germany there were invitations to return to the circus again.

Together they traveled the world. Fedor was at a reception at the chancellor of Germany, at an audience of the Pope, at a reception at US President Theodore Roosevelt. So that Makhnov could cross the ocean, the cabin of the ship was redone under it. Euphrosyne liked such a life, she even wanted to stay in Germany.

But when the German doctors began to persuade him to sign a contract, which after the death of the giant’s corpse would be left to them for scientific research, she was afraid that something could happen to Fedor suddenly, and they left home.
In Paris, almost all members of the Anthropological Partnership showed great interest in the extraordinary physical data of the giant. They wanted to examine it more thoroughly, but Makhnov all his life refused to undress in front of doctors, allowing them to measure only the length of their feet, and palms - 51 cm and almost 35, respectively.

The journal "Nature and People" for 1903 posted the following note about him:
The tallest man in the world. They now unanimously recognize the Russian giant Theodore Makhov. Currently, he arrived with his impresario in Berlin, where he appears in a panopticon. At the Berlin Anthropological Museum, Makhov was carefully measured and weighed, and he was given a document with the following content: "Theodore Makhov, who was born in Russia, in the town of Kusyaki, Vitebsk province, has a height of 238 sant. [Typo] and is one of the highest giants, that ever existed on the globe. In many ways, it is of great interest to science. "

Indeed, all the giants shown so far in Europe were in most cases 12-15 sant. below Machov.
Theodore Makhov comes from an ancient family, whose ancestors moved to Russia from the south, from Syria. Makhov's parents, as well as his two sisters, are distinguished by quite normal growth; his grandfather was very tall, but, in any case, not a giant. Theodor Makhov is currently only 22 g. To give at least some idea of \u200b\u200bthe size of his body, let’s say that his boot, barely reaching the giant’s knee, reaches the chest of a normal person, and a 12-year-old boy could fit his head in it . Impresario pays Makhov 5000 rubles annually and, in addition, maintains it at his own expense. Only with such a huge amount of money was the impresario able to persuade the giant to appear in panopticons, since Makhov, an intelligent and not needing man, for a long time refused such an honor. ”

They had five children. Fedor was a strong master. His figure was not proportional. The legs were especially long. According to the recollections of children, he often, lying on the bed, warmed his feet on the stove. German doctors believed that Makhnov died of bone tuberculosis, which many giants suffered. In fact, he caught a cold and got pneumonia.


As anthropologists rightly noted, this resident of Belarus is “these are one legs”. If he was born without legs, then he would hardly have reached average height. His head, which was unusually small with such a huge body, gave him an unusually ridiculous look, which he tried to hide, wearing a richly decorated Cossack uniform.


His ears were 15 cm long and his lips 10 cm wide, which should have made a definite impression on his wife, a woman of normal size when they kissed. After several days of rest, he always got taller. This was caused by the extraordinary ability of his spine to decrease and contract under the influence of large loads.


He ate, like everyone else, four times a day, but his average family could have fed him breakfast for two days. According to the press, we know how our giant ate. In the morning he ate 20 eggs, 8 round loaves of white bread and butter, drank 2 liters of tea. For lunch - 2.5 kg of meat, 1 kg of potatoes, 3 liters of beer. In the evening - a bowl of fruit, 2.5 kg of meat, 3 loaves of bread and 2 liters of tea. And before going to bed he could still swallow 15 eggs and a liter of milk.

The largest giant ever worn by the earth died on August 28, 1912.

In 1935, his son Rodion studied at the Minsk Medical Institute, and at one of the lectures on gigantism, the professor cited the example of Fedor Makhnov. What was the amazement of everyone when Rodion stood up and said that it was his father. It was then that they asked him to talk with his family about the sale of the skeleton of his father. Mother agreed to sell for 5 thousand rubles. After the death of her husband, she got married a second time, gave birth to three more children. Money was needed ...
During the exhumation, many people were present, including the widow and children. In 1936, Minsk professor D.M. Golub published an article on the skeleton of an acromegalist in the collection of works of the Psychoneurological Institute of the Belarusian Academy of Sciences. Acromegaly is characterized by hyperplastic changes in the skeletal system, soft parts and most internal organs. Simply put, all giants suffer from gigantism. During the great World War II the skeleton is gone.

Today the children of Fedor and Efrosinya Makhnov are no longer alive. Everyone lived a difficult but dignified life. During the years of collectivization, the Makhnov family wanted to be dispossessed and expelled, but the peasants stood up and left them alone. Nikolai and Gavrila were officers, went through repression. Rehabilitated. Rodion became a doctor and during the years of World War II he was shot by the Nazis for communication with partisans. The eldest Maria worked all her life as a livestock specialist, and the youngest Masha as an accountant. All children with height were more likely to go to their mother - 180 - 190 cm. The descendants of Makhnov were scattered throughout the cities and villages of Belarus and Russia. Only the birch remained on the site of the former estate, perhaps planted by Fedor Makhnov himself. And the names of Giants Farm, Giants Forest remind local residents of the tallest man in the world, who once lived in these places.

Fedor Andreyevich Makhnov, who lived at the turn of the 19th-20th centuries, is called the tallest man in the world. His height was 285 centimeters! The dimensions of the giant were such that a 12-year-old child could fit in his boot. Each meal consisted of several kilograms of food, and Makhnov could oversleep for 24 hours. In Europe, the giant was a real wonder and favorite of the public.

Fedor Andreyevich Makhnov is from the village of Kostyuki, Vitebsk district (the former Russian Empire, now Belarus). In addition to him, two more sons grew up in the Makhnov family. Their growth was above average, but Fedor “outdid” everyone. The grandfather took his grandson to education, because Fedor’s mother died during childbirth, the fruit was too large.

As the saying goes, the boy did not grow by leaps and bounds. At 12 years old, his height was already 2 meters. Fedor had a corresponding strength in his hands. He could lift an adult man on one arm, dragged huge logs, harnessed instead of horses and transported carts with hay.

At a young age, the boy was hired by a local landowner to clear the river of boulders. They interfered with the normal functioning of the mill. Work in cold water turned for Fedor to diseases that have repeatedly manifested themselves in the future.

When the young giant turned 14 years old, he began to bang his head on the ceiling, had to rebuild the hut. They had to make an individual bed for Fedor, but the blacksmith delayed the fulfillment of the order, and the boy managed to outgrow it.

Once a giant teenager who worked part-time at the Polotsk Bazaar in Vitebsk was seen by Otto Bilinder, the owner of a nomad circus. It is worth considering that this was the end of the 19th century, while the performances of miracle people were enormously popular. The German persuaded the family of Fedor to lower him to Germany.

So the young giant came to Europe. First, Fyodor studied the German language and at the same time mastered the circus craft. He learned to effectively unbend horseshoes, break bricks with his palm.

At the age of 16, Fedor Makhnov signed a contract for work in the circus. The audience was delighted. People came to performances not so much to look at tricks, but just to see with their own eyes a giant whose height was more than 2.5 meters. Fedor Makhnov, lying, easily raised the platform with a small orchestra.

By the age of 25, the growth of Fedor Makhnov was already 285 cm. Naturally, with such dimensions, the giant also had proper nutrition. For breakfast, he ate an omelet of 20 eggs, 8 rolls of bread, drank 2 liters of tea. Dinner consisted of 2.5 kg of meat, the same amount of potatoes, a bowl of vegetables. The giant could sleep for more than 24 hours.

9 years Fedor Makhnov worked in the circus, and then returned to his native village. With the money earned, the giant bought the land and his house from the landowner, which he rebuilt for himself. It is worth noting that Otto Bidinder always continued to help him. The owner of the circus and the artist remained friends.

Fedor Makhnov married a local teacher Efrosinya Lebedeva. Her height was more than 180 cm, but the wife still looked like a baby next to her husband. Five children appeared in the family.

When the supply of money came to an end, the giant again went to Europe, where he was met with constant success. After the speeches, Fyodor Makhnov and his wife were invited to social events. Even there, Fyodor managed to amuse the audience: he lit cigarettes directly from the chandeliers. Several times the police tried to arrest him for hooliganism or non-compliance with the contract. But each time Makhnov was released, because there simply wasn’t a cell in which he would fit.

Fyodor Makhnov died at 34. According to one version, the consequences of a cold suffered in childhood affected. On the tombstone it is written that the growth of the giant was 3 arshins 9 points, that is, 254 cm. However, this information is not true. The figure was taken from Makhnov’s contract with Bidinder, when the giant was only 16 years old. Then he grew another 31 cm. Spouse wanted to correct an annoying oversight, but she was prevented by the outbreak of World War I.

While Fedor Makhnov entertained the audience in Europe, on the other side of the ocean in the United States people went to performances of a married couple.

His height was 272 cm. However, the Belarusians do not agree with the opinion of this respectable publication. After all, they certainly know that a giant, worthy of the title of the tallest man in the world, lived in the Vitebsk province, and his name was Fedor Andreevich Makhnov. His growth, according to some reports, was as much as 285 cm. At the beginning of the last century this unique person was known all over the world, and today they almost forgot about him.

Giant's childhood

Fate prepared Makhnov short, but incredible interesting life. Fedor Andreevich was born back in 1878 in the village of Kostyuki, located near Vitebsk. His parents were poor peasants whose ancestors moved to the Russian Empire from Syria. Makhnov became the first giant of his kind. His father, mother, brothers and sisters were taller than average, and although his grandfather was considered a tall man, no one could name him a giant.

Already at birth, Fedor Makhnov was distinguished by unusually large growth. His mother could not stand the difficult birth and died, without having seen the baby. The boy spent the early years with his grandfather, who is a grandson. Fedya differed from his peers not only in gigantic size, but also in heroic strength. At the age of 12, his height exceeded the mark of 2 meters. Young Makhnov easily lifted up adults, dragged heavy carts on his own and helped neighbors in building houses, carrying logs with his bare hands. The children laughed at the giant, and in revenge for this he took away their hats and hung them on the skates of the roofs.

Meet Otto Bilinder

When Fedya was 14 years old, his father had to raise the ceilings in the house, because the guy had ceased to fit in it. The bed for the young man was ordered by individual standards from a local blacksmith. Shoes and clothes for him had to be sewn to order. Since Fedor’s family was poor, he had to earn money for his clothes and food on the market in Vitebsk. It was there that the owner of a German traveling circus Otto Bilinder once noticed him. The foreigner was impressed by the giant growth of the guy, and he quickly realized that you can make good money on this. Without thinking twice, he turned to Makhnov’s father with a request to release his son with him to Germany. Having received consent from this, he took the young man to his circus troupe. From that moment, the 14-year-old ordinary giant Fedya left his father's house and went to conquer the sophisticated European public with his non-standard appearance.

Moving to Europe, circus life

After arriving in Germany, Makhnov settled in the house at Bilinder. The employer hired German teachers for the boy and personally began to teach him all the tricks of circus art. Under the leadership of Bilinder, Fedor learned to break bricks with one hand, bend horseshoes, twist thick metal rods into a spiral, raise wooden platforms with people standing on them. At the age of 16, Makhnov signed a contract with his mentor and began performing in the circus arena along with other artists. By this age, his height reached 253 cm, and Otto Bilinder presented him to the public as the largest man on the planet. Together with the troupe, Fedor traveled many countries and became a giant-strongman known throughout Europe. In those days, giant people were a curiosity, so many viewers went to the circus to Bilinder specifically to look at Makhnov.

Fedor has been performing in the arena for 9 years. Throughout this time, its growth continued to increase and by the age of 25 reached 285 cm. Appearance The Belarusian giant was impressive. He weighed as much as 182 kg. The length of his feet was 51 cm, his palms - 31 cm, his ears - 15 cm. Fedor Andreyevich Makhnov, like most people, ate 4 times a day, but the portions that he absorbed were truly gigantic. His regular breakfast consisted of 2 liters of tea, 8 loaves of bread and butter and 20 eggs. For lunch, Makhnov easily ate 1 kg of potatoes and 2.5 kg of lamb or pork, drinking all this with three liters of beer. The giant's evening meal consisted of a huge piece of meat, 3 loaves of bread, a bowl of fruit and several liters of tea.

Return to Kostyuki

Over the years acting career Makhnov managed to earn a lot of money and become a well-to-do person. At 25, he decided to leave the circus troupe and return home. Giant growth brought the young man many inconveniences during the tour. He did not fit in hotel rooms and restaurants, and transport was forced to choose only with an open top. Tired of endless journeys, Makhnov at the beginning of the 20th century warmly said goodbye to Bilinder and returned to his village of Kostyuki. For the money earned during the performances, he acquired the estate from the local landowner Korzhenevsky. Fyodor Makhnov converted the house to fit his height, ordered suitable furniture for the rooms and healed for his pleasure.

Marriage to teacher Efrosinje

Shortly after returning home, the giant thought about getting married. The girls were afraid of the huge guy and bypassed him. It was not easy to find the bride to the giant-strongman, but, finally, luck smiled at him. His chosen one was the rural teacher Efrosinya Lebedeva. The girl was 2 meters tall, but still looked next to Fedor, like a child.

Over the years of marriage, Fyodor and Efrosinya had 5 children (they all grew tall, but their growth did not exceed two meters). The family lived in the estate of Makhnov, to whom he gave the ironic name Velikanovo. In order to feed his wife and young children, Fedor had to remember his acting past. He did not refuse to perform in Russian circuses, took part in wrestling tournaments.

Future life

In 1905, the giant Fyodor Makhnov went on a tour of foreign countries, taking with him his wife and children. He visited England, Belgium, France, Germany, Holland, Italy. The Belarusian giant was awarded an audience with the Pope himself. Later, the Makhnov couple went on a boat to the United States. For Fedor’s sake, the crew of the ship had to redo the cabin for his height. With its appearance, the circus everywhere made a splash. In many countries, he was invited to receptions for dignitaries, where without hesitation he lit cigarettes from candles in chandeliers. In France, Makhnov had a serious conflict with the local population. Arriving police officers wanted to put the giant behind bars, but could not find a suitable camera for him and were forced to let him go free.

Efrosinya liked living abroad so much that she considered staying there forever. However, the incident with German doctors forced her to change plans. Doctors began to persuade Makhnov to sign a contract, under the terms of which, after his death, they would be able to put scientific experiments on his body. Efrosinya was horrified by what she heard and, frightened that some unhappiness could happen to her husband, persuaded him to return to his homeland.

The first serious health problems

From frequent relocations, Fedor Makhnov began to complain about his well-being. The growth of 285 centimeters did not affect his health in the best way. After returning to Velikanovo, the man exacerbated chronic joint disease received in childhood. His legs hurt so much that it was difficult for him to walk. But, despite health problems, Makhnov tried to lead a familiar life. He did not leave performances in the circus and even entered the wrestling ring.

Giant's death

The ordinary giant from Kostyukov was a kind man and a caring husband. With Euphrosyne, he lived in love and harmony, did not cherish a soul in his children, did not refuse help to any of his countrymen. Unfortunately, fate took Fedor a short 34 years. He died in 1912, leaving his wife with five small children in her arms (the younger twin sons Rodion and Gabriel were only 6 months old at the time of his death). The sudden departure of the circus from life gave rise to a lot of rumors. According to one version, the cause of his death was pneumonia. German doctors believed that the giant died due to tuberculosis of the bones - an ailment that affects most people of gigantic growth. There is also a version that Fedor was poisoned by ill-wishers.

Even after death, the growth of the tallest man on the planet continued to amaze others. When the undertaker received an order for the coffin and grave fence for Makhnov, he decided that the relatives of the deceased had confused something with the standards. He made a dominion and a railing of standard sizes. When it turned out that Fyodor’s relatives didn’t mix anything up, he had to hurry down the red coffin in order to catch the funeral. There was no time to make a new fence, so I had to be content with the one that was. Fedor was buried in a cemetery near Kostyukov. In 1934, the remains of a circus performer were exhumed and sent for research to the Minsk Medical Institute. During the war they were irretrievably lost.

Historical injustice

How did it happen that in the Guinness Book of Records, as the tallest man ever living on the planet, another person is indicated? Researchers believe that the blame is on the grave of Makhnov. It means that the growth of the giant was equal to 3 arshins and 9 points, which is equivalent to 253 centimeters. However, the data indicated on the tombstone were taken from a contract that 16-year-old Fedor signed with Otto Bilinder. After that, for several years, Makhnov grew by another 32 cm, but this fact was not taken into account. But this historical injustice does not prevent the residents of the Vitebsk region from being proud of their fellow countryman and calling him the tallest man in the world.

In pre-revolutionary Russia, the whole planet knew him. He was a real giant. His height was 285 cm. This record has not yet been challenged. They say that despite its enormous size, he is known as a good-natured and kind-hearted man. He was an exemplary family man and raised his five heirs. According to rumors, the birch tree that he once planted is still growing. According to some reports, fans even want to put a monument to him. We are talking about Fedor Makhnov - the tallest man in the whole world ...

Makhnov’s upbringing took up his grandfather

Fedor Andreyevich Makhnov, whose growth was 285 centimeters, was born in the summer of 1878 in the village of Kostyuki, near Vitebsk. The future giant came from an ancient family. His ancestors moved to the Russian Empire from the Syrian lands. Parents and sisters of the protagonist of our story were absolutely normal growth. His grandfather was very tall, but by no means a giant.

The first child of the family was very large, but three months after birth he died. Then Fedor himself appeared. His mother died immediately after giving birth.

Papa Fedor did not grieve for long and married again. They had two more of their children. Everything would be nice, but Fedor began to grow very quickly. What can I say, even on the stove he no longer had a place. It is for this reason that the grandfather of the future giant took him to him.

Gulliver's childhood

At the age of 8-10, Fedor Andreevich Makhnov was already able to raise an adult man. He also always won a bet when he dragged a cart loaded with hay uphill. Accordingly, the villagers periodically began to call him to help with the housework. Either he raised logs when the inhabitants began to build their huts, then he was engaged in other similar matters.

When he was twelve, the height of Fedor Makhnov was already two meters. By the way, he could sleep more than a day.

According to the memoirs, the tallest man in the world was good-natured and cheerful. I practiced the accordion, played with the local children, who hid in the boots of Fedor. Well, if he was offended, he could take off his hats from the “offenders” and hide them under the log houses of sheds and baths, or, say, hang them on the roof ridge.

At some time, due to his great growth, the hut was rebuilt, raising the ceilings. And the blacksmith made an individual bed. But very soon, Makhnov Fedor Andreevich outgrew this bed too.

Meeting with the director of the Berlin circus

As a child, Makhnov Fedor (Russian giant) began to earn. So, having learned about his unprecedented opportunities, the local landowner decided to hire him to clear large boulders from the nearby Zaronovka River. They seriously hindered the running of the water mill. Makhnov did his job, but, working in icy water, he caught a cold, his legs clutched. Doctors put him rheumatism. Actually, he later died from him. But that was much later.

Shoeing and dressing a giant who was still growing was quite problematic. Of course, for him everything was made according to a special order and not free of charge. To earn money, Fedor and his grandfather came to Vitebsk and sold their products on the market. On one of his visits to the city, he was noticed by the director of the traveling circus Otto Bilinder. At that time, his troupe just toured. Being a German, the owner of the circus suggested the giant to go to work in Berlin - to perform in the circus arena. The binder swore to his grandfather that he would dress and dress Fedor. In addition, he promised that the boy with his abilities will be able to earn a lot of money and then he will be able to support and help the whole family.

So the fourteen-year-old Fedor Makhnov set off to conquer Europe.

First contract

Since Fedor Andreyevich had only a three-year education, Bilinder hired teachers. He was taught not only literacy, but also the German language. Bilinder himself began to teach Fedor the basics of circus art. Two years later, that is, when the boy was sixteen, he signed the first contract in his life and began performing in the arena.

The rate in his speeches was, of course, made on power numbers. Young Makhnov easily bent and unbent horseshoes. And with one hand. He broke bricks with his palm edge, twisted metal rods into a spiral, lifted a platform with people.

In addition, wrestling tournaments were enormously popular in all circuses. They were attended by well-known world-class wrestlers, among whom were such strong men as Poddubny and Zaikin. The tallest man in the world, Fedor Andreevich Makhnov, also took part in such competitions. Alas, he did not become a great fighter. The cause was primarily a chronic disease that he earned in the Zaronovka River. However, as soon as he appeared in the arena, the audience immediately began to applaud him. By this time, his growth reached 2 meters 85 cm.

In a word, Bilinder's circus has become popular. Its owner got rich, as, in fact, Fedor Makhnov, the tallest man in the world. Once on a visit, he came to his village. In recognition and respect, he handed his grandfather a great suit with patent leather boots. In those days, for the villagers, this was real wealth.

Makhnov bought the estate of his landowner

For nine years, Makhnov worked as a circus artist. Of course, he became a wealthy man, but his growth brought only trouble. Any move was very difficult for him. Hotels, catering establishments, and transport did not at all count on its dimensions. It was because of this that at the beginning of the twentieth century, Fedor decided to return to his homeland, to his native village.

Upon his return, the tallest man in the world, Fedor Andreyevich Makhnov, thought about his own spacious house. Fortunately, the landowner Korzhenevsky was at that time settled down in France, and therefore his mansion was empty of land. As a result, Makhnov bought the estate and rebuilt everything to fit his height. He also furnished everything with appropriate furniture. By the way, building materials were sent by the same Binder from Germany.

When everything was ready, Makhnov renamed the estate into Velikanovo.

The long-awaited marriage

By this time, Fedor Makhnov decided to marry. Of course, the search for the bride went hard. Not every girl was ready to become his wife. The priest and the doctor who examined him spoke to the giant.

The fact is that the growth of Fedor Makhnov was considered a disease. And when the Aesculapius said that all his organs were perfectly in order, and he himself was quite suitable for a full-fledged family life, there was a bride. Her name was Efrosinya Lebedeva. She worked in a rural school and was two years younger than Fedor. Efrosinya was also quite tall, but still inferior to her groom by almost one meter.

As a result, the wedding took place. And in 1903, the first-born, the daughter Masha, appeared in the Makhnov family. Following her was born and the heir - the son of Nikolai. And a few years later they had three more children. By the way, the growth of heirs has never reached more than two meters.

The Makhnov family lived in harmony and love, together. Efrosinia Lebedeva became the companion of Fedor Andreyevich for life. Makhnov was a very kind man, loved his children. He was always ready to help the villagers, for which they all respected him.

Also on occasion, the tallest person in the world went to various wrestling tournaments in order to replenish the family budget. Of course, he periodically performed in the circus arena, demonstrating his abilities in various Russian cities. And from Germany, invitations to return to their native circus continued to come ...

Foreign tour

As a result, the Makhnov family went to the German capital. The strongman continued to amaze the audience at the circus, and the wife began working there - she was a cashier. The inhabitants of Germany were ready to fulfill any whim of the giant. So, in the middle of winter, Fedor urgently wanted wild strawberries. She was immediately delivered to him.

Then his meeting with the Chancellor of Germany took place. When everyone began to have dinner, they put in front of Fedor a rather large and beautiful tea set. But he asked to give him the usual mug.

After working in a German circus, a French contract followed. As a result, the Makhnov family moved to Paris. Once there was a clash with several residents of the capital. Law enforcement officers were going to send Fyodor Andreyevich Makhnov to the station, but could not find the appropriate camera. The police had to confine themselves only to a moralizing conversation.

In general, during this period, the Makhnov family visited almost all European countries. They were even in the Vatican and communicated with the Pope himself. According to family tradition, he presented his golden cross to the daughter of the tallest man in the world. At the dinner parties, the giant Fedor Makhnov, without hesitation, lit a cigarette from the candles that were on the upper tiers of the chandeliers. Accordingly, he involuntarily extinguished them.

The family of Fedor Andreyevich Makhnov was in the United States. True, in order to cross the Atlantic, I had to redo the cabin of the ship. Staying in the USA, Makhnov’s wife was in a position. The American authorities invited her to give birth to them. But this greatly alarmed Fedor. As a result, he decided to send his wife to his homeland, while he himself remained.

Meanwhile, the German Aesculapius invited him to sign another expensive contract. According to him, after the death of the corpse of Fedor Andreevich should be left to doctors for the purpose of study. According to the memoirs of contemporaries, because of this contract, Makhnov began to fear for his life. Therefore, he decided to urgently return to Europe.

And interest in his personality continued to grow steadily.

For breakfast, Makhnov could swallow two dozen eggs

So, even in Paris, French scientists managed to measure the length of the palms and feet of a giant - 35 cm and 51, respectively. They were surprised.

The newspapers said that in the boot of Fedor Andreevich Makhnov, a twelve-year-old teenager could fit.

Makhnov’s head was very small with such a large body. Accordingly, all this gave him a rather ridiculous appearance.

As for food, he had four meals a day. True, an average family could feed on breakfast alone. In the morning he ate twenty eggs and several loaves of butter. He also drank almost two liters of tea. When dinner came, he ate about 2.5 kilograms of meat, a kilo of potatoes and three liters of beer. For dinner - again meat, bread, tea and a large bowl of fruit. Before going to bed, he was able to drink one liter of milk and eat fifteen eggs.

Homecoming

When the tallest man in the world, Fedor Makhnov, ended up in Europe again, his illness, which was earned as a child, again worsened. It became more difficult for him to walk.

An old acquaintance of Bilinder wanted to help him and sent a heavy horse. But the problem remained unresolved. The giant's lower limbs dragged along the ground as he mounted his horse. Therefore, the main means of transportation was still a troika.

Meanwhile, news came that Fedor had twins. Upon learning of this, he decided to break the contract and urgently returned home. Although before that he was going to visit Australia. In fact, many plans were broken altogether.

So, returning to his homeland, Makhnov was determined to open a small enterprise. On it, he was going to give work to all his relatives. But I didn’t have time.

Also, the head of the Vitebsk province was determined to assign him a noble rank. But because of his illness, and then because of death, this did not happen.

But Fedor managed to bring many innovations to the economy. Almost the first in the district, he actively began to use machines related to agriculture. He bought them from Germany, and the same binder sent them. In addition, he managed to engage in horse breeding.

Fellow countrymen came to Fedor from all around. Of course, mostly they came with requests for help. According to the memoirs, he never refused - he gave money, then food, then cattle.

All this ended when a chronic ailment once again worsened.

Gulliver's death

In 1912, Fedor Makhnov (growth of 285 centimeters and a chronic disease made themselves felt) finally became ill. He began to experience terrible pain in his legs and stopped walking. According to the memoirs, he did not let go of his wife, always wanted her to be near. Only she trusted him to smear terrible wounds on the joints. But these ointments and medicines did not help.

Before his death, Otto Bilinder, the same circus director, arrived. He invited him to reserve a place on the Berlin graveyard. He was also ready to make a monument of marble. But Fedor refused, saying that he would only be buried in the village cemetery. And so it happened.

According to eyewitnesses, a huge number of residents and his fans came to say goodbye to the giant. And the prestigious publication Russian Sport decided to publish an obituary who announced his death.

Life after death

After the death, rumors began that Makhnov was poisoned. The killers were rivals in wrestling carpet. But no one will know about this.

In the mid-30s, the son of Fedor Rodion studied at a medical institute in the capital of Belarus. It was then that he was asked to sell his father’s skeleton. They say his mother agreed to this dubious offer and received five thousand rubles.

According to rumors, the giant’s skeleton was then in the walls of the anatomical museum of the medical institute. And when the Nazi invaders occupied Minsk, this unique exhibit was lost. According to some evidence, he was taken by a Gauleiter of the Belarusian capital V. Cuba. He was proud of him and supposedly even received a reward for this. After all, it is known that Nazi scientists dreamed of creating a new Aryan supernation. And among these "new people" there should have been giants. That is, such as a tall peasant that comes from a Velikanovo farm ... Photo of Fedor Makhnov you can see in the article.