Fedor Makhnov - the biggest man on the planet

People-giants, whose growth exceeds 2 meters 50 cm, are extremely rare. According to the Guinness Book of Records, the highest person on our planet was an American Robert Wadlow. His height was 272 cm. However, the Belarusians do not agree with the opinion of this respectable publication. They know for sure that the giant, worthy of the title of the highest man in the world, lived in Vitebsk province, and his name was Fedor Andreevich Makhnov. Its growth, according to some data, was as much as 285 cm. At the beginning of the last century, this unique man was known all over the world, and today he is almost forgotten.

Childhood of the giant

Fate prepared Makhnov for a short but incredibly interesting life. Fyodor Andreevich was born in the distant 1878 in the village of Kostiuky, located near Vitebsk. His parents were poor peasants, whose ancestors moved to the Russian Empire from Syria. Makhnov became the first giant in his lineage. His father, mother, brothers and sisters were above average height, and grandfather though was considered a tall man, but no one could call him a giant.

Even at birth Fedor Makhnov was remarkable for his unusually large growth. His mother could not withstand heavy births and died, never seeing the baby. Early boy spent with his grandfather, who did not like the soul in his grandson. Fedya differed from his peers not only in gigantic proportions, but also in heroic strength. At the age of 12, his height exceeded the mark of 2 meters. Young Makhnov easily raised adult people, independently dragged heavy carts and helped neighbors in the construction of houses, carrying the log with their bare hands. The children laughed at the giant, and he, in retaliation for this, took away their caps and hung them on the roof ridge.

Introduction to Otto Bilinder

When Fed was 14 years old, his father had to lift the ceilings in the house, because the guy ceased to fit in it. The bed for the young man was ordered by individual measures from a local smith. Shoes and clothes for him had to be sewn to order. Since the family of Fedor was poor, he had to earn money for his clothes and food in the market in Vitebsk. It was there once noticed the owner of the German wandering circus Otto Bilinder. The foreigner was impressed by the giant growth of the boy, and he quickly realized that this could make good money. Without thinking twice, he turned to Makhnov's father with a request to release his son with him to Germany. After receiving consent, 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 tempted European public with his unusual appearance.

Moving to Europe, circus life

After his arrival 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 how to break bricks with one hand, bend the horseshoes, twist thick metal rods into a spiral, and 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 on a par with other artists. By this age, his height reached 253 cm, and Otto Bilinder represented it to the public as the most immense person on the planet. Together with the troupe, Fedor traveled to many countries and became famous throughout Europe as a giant strongman. In those days, giants were a curiosity, so many spectators went to the circus to Bilinder specifically to look at Makhnov.

Fedor performed in the arena for 9 years. Throughout this time, his growth continued to increase and by the age of 25 reached 285 cm. The appearance of the Belarusian giant was impressive. He weighed as much as 182 kg. The length of his feet was 51 cm, palms - 31 cm, ears - 15 cm. Fedor Andreevich Makhnov, like most people, ate meals 4 times a day, but the portions that he absorbed were truly gigantic. His usual breakfast consisted of 2 liters of tea, 8 loaves of bread and butter and 20 eggs. For dinner, Makhnov easily ate 1 kg of potatoes and 2.5 kg of mutton or pork, washed down with three liters of beer. The evening meal of the giant consisted of a huge piece of meat, 3 loaves of bread, a basin of fruit and a few liters of tea.

Return to Kostiuky

During the years of acting career Makhnov managed to earn a lot of money and become a well-off person. At the age of 25, he decided to leave the circus troupe and return home. Giant growth brought the young man a lot of inconvenience 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 the endless crossings, Makhnov at the beginning of the twentieth century warmly said goodbye to Bilinder and returned to his village Kostiuky. For the money he earned during the speeches, he bought an estate from a local landowner Korzhenevsky. Fedor Makhnov converted the house to his own height, ordered suitable furniture for the rooms and healed for fun.

Marriage of the teacher Efrosinje

Soon after returning home, the giant thought about marrying. Girls were afraid of a huge guy and avoided him. Finding a bride giant-strongman was not easy, but, finally, he was lucky. His choice was the village teacher Efrosinya Lebedeva. The girl was 2 meters tall, but still looked next to Fedor, like a child.

During the years of marriage, five children were born to Fedor and Euphrosyne (all of them grew tall, but their growth did not exceed two meters). The family lived in the estate of Makhnov, to which he gave the ironic name "Velikanovo". In order to feed his wife and small children, Fedor had to remember about his acting past. He did not refuse to perform in Russian circuses, took part in wrestling tournaments.

Future life

In 1905 the giant Fedor Makhnov went on tour in foreign countries, taking his wife and children with him. He visited England, Belgium, France, Germany, Holland, Italy. The Belarusian giant was awarded an audience with the pope himself. Later, the Makhnovs' couple set out on a steamship to the United States. For Fedor's sake, the ship's crew had to redo the cabin for its growth. His appearance of circus everywhere produced a furor. In many countries he was invited to receptions to high-ranking people, where he lit his cigarettes without choking with candles in chandeliers. In France, Makhnov experienced a serious conflict with the local population. Arriving police wanted to put the giant behind bars, but could not find a suitable camera for him and had to let him go free.

Efrosinya was so fond of living abroad that she was thinking of 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 have had the opportunity to put scientific experiments on his body. Efrosinya was horrified by what she had heard and, being afraid that some misfortune might happen to her husband, persuaded him to return to his homeland.

The first serious health problems

From frequent moves, Feodor Makhnov began to complain about his health. The growth of 285 centimeters did not affect his health in the best way. After returning to Velikanovo, the man had a chronic joint disease that had already been acquired in childhood. His legs hurt so much that it was difficult for him to walk. But, despite the health problems, Makhnov tried to lead a habitual life for himself. He did not leave performances in the circus and even went to the wrestling ring.

Death of the giant

An ordinary giant from Kostyukov was a kind person and a caring husband. With Euphrosyne he lived in love and harmony, he did not see his soul in his children, he did not refuse any help from fellow countrymen. Unfortunately, the fate took Fyodor a short 34 years. He died in 1912, leaving his wife with five small children in his arms (the younger sons-twins Rodion and Gabriel by the time of his death was only 6 months old). The sudden withdrawal of a 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 because of the tuberculosis of bones - an ailment that affects most people of giant growth. There is also a version that Fedor was poisoned by detractors.

Even after death, the growth of the tallest man on the planet continued to amaze those around him. When the undertaker received the order for the coffin and the grave fence for Makhnov, he decided that the relatives of the deceased had mixed up something with the standards. He made a house and a fence of standard sizes. When it turned out that Fedor's relatives did not confuse anything, he had to quickly rearrange the coffin in time for a funeral. Master the new fence no longer had time, so I had to be content with the one that was. They buried Fedor in a cemetery near Kostyukov. In 1934, the remains of the circus were exhumed and sent to a study at 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 who ever lived on the planet, another person is indicated? Researchers believe that the fault is the tombstone inscription on Makhnov's grave. It says that the growth of the giant was 3 arshines and 9 vertices, which is equivalent to 253 centimeters. However, the data indicated on the tombstone were taken from the contract that the 16-year-old Fedor signed with Otto Bilinder. After that, for several years Makhnov grew another 32 cm, but this fact was not taken into account. But this historical injustice does not prevent the inhabitants of the Vitebsk region from being proud of their countryman and calling him the tallest man in the world.