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We all listened to tales of giants in childhood. But on earth time from time to time really people of superhigh growth appeared. Many were measured, described and photographed during their lifetime. The highest of all giants ever living on Earth was Fedor Andreevich Makhnov, whose height almost did not reach 3 meters (285cm).
Overgrowth Fedya Makhnov
Makhnov was born in 1878 in the village of Kostyuki near Vitebsk in peasant family. His parents, brothers and sisters were people of growth above average, but by no means giants. Early years Fedor not stood out among his peers, but with 8 years began rapidly grow and by the age of 14 he jumped over the bar of 2 meters. Father was forced build up walls in the house.
With 10 years, Fedor helped his father in his work and thanks to the constant physical labor grew not only high, but phenomenally strong. At the same time, he had a good-natured disposition and his strength never abused. With the tipsy fellow villagers Fedor just took off his hats and put them on skates for the fun of the whole village roofs. Clothing, shoes and furniture were made for the boy special order.
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Circus life
In 1892, on 14th Fedor, the owner saw the Polotsk Bazaar traveling circus Otto Bilinder. Business German met giant, came to Kostyuki and persuaded the boy’s father to let go son “for work”.
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Otto was far from the idea of showing Makhnov simply as a curiosity. Before releasing Fedor to the arena, Belinder taught for almost 2 years German guy, the basics of circus art, acting mastery, practiced and rehearsed numbers, and when a guy 16 years old, concluded a full-fledged contract with him.
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In the arena, Fedor bent his horseshoes with his hands, tied iron knots bars, breaking bricks. Often participated in wrestling fights, he didn’t become champions, inferior in technology to Zaikin, Poddubny and others eminent athletes. But the mere appearance of giant Makhnov on The wrestling platform caused a storm of enthusiasm among the public.
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Family idyll on the Giant Farm
After 9 years of circus life, Fedor returned to his native village a very wealthy person. He bought a manor that the local dubbed the “Giants Farm”, rebuilt the house to fit its size, furnished with suitable furniture and decided to get married. Rich, economic, kind – what more could you want? But the surrounding girls for unknown reasons, they didn’t want to marry anyone the giant.
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The local teacher Efrosinya ventured to answer with consent Lebedev, who had a height of 215 cm. But even this tall girl is almost on the meter was below her narrowed. The marriage was happy. At Makhnovy 5 children were born, but not one of the descendants even grew above 2 meters.
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Overseas trip
In 1905, the Makhnovs went on a trip abroad. Fedor and Efrosinha visited France, Holland, Great Britain, Belgium and even the USA, although for this I had to redo one of the cabins steamboat. The trip was brisk. Whatever city you arrive in spouses, local newspapers posted a message about this. At first bands they placed photographs of Makhnov and his anthropological data: height – 285 cm, weight – 182 kg, palm length – 32 cm, length feet – 51 cm, giant’s boots reach the average person to belt. At receptions Makhnov used to light from candles with chandelier
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In Italy, the couple received an audience of the Pope, and in the USA – President Theodore Roosevelt. Not without curiosities. In Paris Makhnov quarreled with the townspeople, for which he was arrested by the police. Not the resisting Makhnov was delivered to the station, but since there was no suitable camera for Vitebsk Gulliver, the police limited themselves to a warning.
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From the voyage, Makhnov returned not only enriched with impressions, but and with a contract for several agricultural machines – Fedor planned to end his career as an artist and seriously engage agriculture. But the plans were not destined to come true: August 28 1912 35-year-old Fedor Makhnov died.
The last about the Vitebsk giant
According to one version, Makhnov died of tuberculosis, according to another – from chronic pneumonia. He was buried in a local cemetery. In 1934, the remains were exhumed and transferred to Minsk. Medical Institute, where they disappeared in the chaos of 1941.
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From the “Vitebsk Gulliver” there was a tombstone on which The height of 16-year-old Fedi Makhnov is indicated: 3 arshins, 9 cm (254 cm). This data is not correct. According to measurements made by a professor University of Berlin anthropology by Felix Lushan during Makhnov’s last European journey, the growth of the Russian giant was 2 meters 85 cm. So the highest living person living now on Earth, Leonid Stadnik (257 cm) to Makhnov still grow and grow.
Giants Life Time USA
