Hello friends. Friday evening, time to relax and chat with friends. I'm at home, finishing up work on a new article for my beloved readers. No, this time it’s not about all sorts of things, etc., which I love to tell you so much :)

Today I want to tell you the life story of my fellow countryman, Fedor Andreevich Makhnov. At one time he was known all over the world, but now he is almost forgotten. This year he would have turned 135 years old. Weighing 182 kilograms, his height was... 285 centimeters!

Fedor Andreevich Makhnov, a native of the small village of Kostyuki near Vitebsk, was born on June 6, 1878.

The boy was the first-born in an ordinary peasant family. His parents were tall people, but they were not considered giants. Due to the fact that the newborn was too large, his mother could not endure the difficult birth and died. The little orphan was taken to be raised by his grandparents

At first, Fedor practically did not stand out among his peers, but by the age of eight he began to grow very quickly. Despite the fact that he slept a lot during this period (almost for days on end), Fedya grew up to be a very strong boy.

At the age of 10, the father took the grown boy to live with him. Helping his father with housework, Fedya became stronger and more tempered. Large beyond his age, he could easily pull a peasant cart loaded with hay up a mountain or lift an adult man on a dare. Neighbors often used his abilities to build houses, where he helped lift logs.

The local landowner Korzhenevsky, having learned about the abilities of the young strongman, hired him to clear the nearby Zaronovka River from boulders that were interfering with the work of the water mill. Long work in very cold water played a very unfavorable role in Fedor’s life. He caught a cold, and the illnesses that followed subsequently made themselves felt for the rest of Makhnov’s life.

By the age of 14, the 2-meter young man could no longer fit into the house. Because of this, my father had to build up the walls by several crowns. A local blacksmith was ordered to make a custom bed, but he, overloaded with work, spent the whole summer making it. In the end it turned out that Fedya had outgrown this bed.

Tales are still told about the growth of the guy in Kostyuki. They say that children hid in his felt boots, and he pacified his few offenders by stuffing their hats under the logs of the bathhouses or laying them on the ridges of the roofs.

Dressing and putting shoes on a tall guy was problematic. Everything was made to special order. They had to earn money for clothes in Vitebsk at the Polotsk Bazaar. It was there that the unusual teenager was noticed by the German Otto Bilinder, who owned a traveling circus. Being a business man, he quickly realized the prospects of this man in his troupe, and persuaded his father to let Fyodor go with the circus. Bilinder undertook to take on all the maintenance of the guy, and in addition promised that Fedor, with his data, would be able to earn good money and help his family.

It didn’t take long to persuade his father and the 14-year-old boy set off to conquer Europe with his abilities. Otto Bilinder took custody of Fedor. First, for the illiterate guy, he hired teachers to teach him German. Otto took over teaching circus art. Fedor’s training lasted almost two years. When he turned 16, a contract was signed with him to perform. This is how Fyodor Makhnov became a circus performer.

His performances focused on power moves. The more than two and a half meter tall giant bent iron horseshoes with one hand, broke bricks with a blow of his hand, twisted metal rods into a spiral, and then straightened them again. Particularly successful were the numbers when he, lying on his back, lifted wooden platform with an orchestra of three musicians. In those days, Greco-Roman (classical) wrestling tournaments were very popular in circuses. Famous strongmen and world-class wrestlers took part in them, including Russian titans Zaikin and Poddubny. Fedor Makhnov also participated in similar tournaments. True, he did not become a great athlete due to the fact that the best world wrestlers always came up against him, and a chronic back disease did not allow him to fully demonstrate his talents. However, his mere appearance in the arena caused wild delight from the public.

Makhnov devoted nine years to working in the circus, after which he became a quite wealthy man. However a big increase brought a lot of trouble to Fedor. It was difficult for him to travel, since all transport, hotels, and catering establishments were designed only for people of standard sizes. Because of this, Fedor returned home to his native Kostyuki at the very beginning of the twentieth century. For the money he earned in circus performances, he bought his land and house from the landowner Korzhenevsky, who had left for France. Makhnov rebuilt the estate to suit his height, furnished it with suitable furniture and renamed it Velikanovo. All necessary Construction Materials and furniture was sent to him from Germany by Otto Bidinder, with whom Fyodor maintained close friendly contacts until the end of his life.

Having settled in a new place, Makhnov decided to get married. And although he was very kind by nature, and not deprived of finances, they found a bride for him with great difficulty. She became Efrosinya Lebedeva, who worked as a rural teacher. She was a tall girl, but still inferior to her fiancé by almost a meter. In 1903, the first daughter Maria appeared in the family, and the next year their son Nikolai was born.

To replenish the family budget, from time to time Fedor went to various wrestling tournaments, performed in circuses, demonstrating his capabilities in various cities of the Russian Empire.

Such trips, along with some anthropological details of Gulliver of Vitebsk, were regularly covered by the press of that time. It was written, in particular, that Fedor weighs 182 kg, has 15-centimeter ears and 10-centimeter lips. The length of his palm was 32 cm, his foot – 51 cm. Makhnov’s height decreased slightly in weekdays and increased over the weekend.

The giant had four meals a day, but the portions were truly impressive. For example, breakfast consisted of 8 round loaves of bread with butter, 20 eggs and 2 liters of tea. Lunch included 1 kg of potatoes, 2.5 kg of meat and 3 liters of beer. 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 given another 1 loaf of bread, 15 eggs and 1 liter of tea or milk.

In 1905, the Makhnov family went on a tour abroad. Traveling around Western Europe, they visited France, Great Britain, Belgium, Holland, Italy. They were granted an audience by the Pope himself. According to family legend, he took off his gold cross and gave it to the giant's daughter. The Makhnov couple also visited the USA. To do this, however, it was necessary to remodel the ship's cabin.

During these trips there were some oddities. At receptions in palaces, Fyodor lit cigarettes from candles from the upper tiers of chandeliers, thereby extinguishing them.

In Paris, he had a clash with several townspeople. The arriving police wanted to put the giant behind bars, but not finding a suitable cell, they limited themselves to just a conversation.

During lunch at the German Chancellor's, a huge tea set was placed in front of Makhnov, but Fyodor did not appreciate such a “joke”, demanding that it be replaced with an ordinary mug.

But although the techniques are at their best high levels and were welcoming, it was difficult to travel around the world. First of all, the inappropriate size of transport, housing and restaurants had an impact. In addition, Makhnov began to besieged by various scientists who offered to conclude a contract for him to transfer his skeleton to them for study after death. Suspecting that he might be killed for this, Fyodor interrupted his foreign tour and returned to his home at Velikanov Khutor.

A long nomadic life undermined Makhnov’s already not very good health. Chronic joint disease, acquired in childhood in the cold water of Zaronovka, has worsened. It became increasingly difficult to walk. Otto Bilinder tried to help Fedor by sending a heavyweight horse from Germany. Unfortunately, the animal sent did not solve the problem, since with its nearly three-meter height, the giant’s legs still dragged along the ground when he sat astride it. And although Fedor became very attached to the horse, on trips he preferred to take a troika as his main means of transportation.

Traveling abroad has brought economic life Fedor Makhnov has a lot of new things. He was perhaps the first in the area to use agricultural machinery, which he purchased in Germany and kindly sent by Bilinder. For some time he even bred horses.

Unfortunately, Fyodor Makhnov did not live long. In 1912, chronic illnesses finally undermined the giant’s health, and he died at the age of 34, having, however, before that managed to rejoice at the birth of three more of his children: daughter Masha (1911) and twin sons Rodion (Radimir) and Gabriel (Galyun) , born just six months before his death. The exact reason for the early departure of Makhnov’s life was never determined. Some documents say that he died from tuberculosis, others - from chronic pneumonia. The Vitebsk giant was buried in a local cemetery near the village of Kostyuki. The Russian Sport magazine published an obituary announcing his death.

The growth of Fyodor Makhnov, even after his death, continued to surprise everyone. The undertaker, thinking that there was a mistake in the order for the coffin and fence, did the work for an ordinary person. When it turned out that he was mistaken, the coffin had to be urgently remade, but there was no time left to redo the fence, and it had to be abandoned.

On the surviving tombstone you can still read the inscription: “Fedor Andreevich Makhnov born - June 6, 1878 died. August 28, 1912 at the age of 36 The Biggest Man in the World was 3 arshins 9 vershoks in height.”

The story about Fyodor Makhnov can be supplemented by the fact that his height on the tombstone is indicated incorrectly. It was taken from the contract with Bilinder, signed by the giant at the age of 16. Since then, Fedor has grown another 30 cm.

The giant's wife subsequently wanted to correct the mistakes on the tombstone and redo the fence, but the outbreak of the First World War and the subsequent revolutionary events prevented her from doing this.

In 1934, Makhnov’s remains were exhumed for scientific purposes and sent to Minsk medical school for studying. During the war, the giant's skeleton was lost, like much else. Only the photograph and description made by Professor D.M. have survived. Dove.

Instead of a conclusion

According to the Guinness Book of Records, the most A tall man in history, about whose growth there is undoubted information is Robert Wadlow, who lived in America at the beginning of the twentieth century. His height reached 272 centimeters.

But this confession is wrong! After all, Fyodor Andreevich Makhnov’s height is 285 centimeters. And he is the tallest man in the world in history. The growth was measured and officially recorded by the Warsaw anthropologist Luszan. In addition, the record growth of our compatriot was noted in the magazine “Science and Life” for 1970 and in the science fiction writer Alexander Belyaev in the novel “The Man Who Lost His Face” and its revised version “The Man Who Found His Face.”

Fedor Andreevich Makhnov. Photos:

Fyodor Andreevich 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.

Fedya's childhood

Born into a peasant family in the Staroselsky volost of the Vitebsk province (now Belarus) on June 6, 1878. His parents, as well as his brothers and sisters, were above average height, 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 the difficult birth and died. The little orphan was taken in by his grandparents to be raised. But at the age of 10, the father took the grown boy back to him.
Helping his father with housework, Fedya became stronger and more tempered. Large beyond his age, he could easily pull a peasant cart loaded with hay up a mountain or lift an adult man on a dare. Neighbors often used his abilities to build houses, where he helped lift 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.

his boot could fit a 12 year old child

When the young giant turned 14 years old, he began to hit his head on the ceiling, and the hut had to be rebuilt. They were supposed to make a custom bed for Fyodor, but the blacksmith delayed fulfilling the order, and the boy managed to outgrow it. One day, a giant teenager working part-time at the Polotsk Bazaar in Vitebsk was seen by Otto Bilinder, the owner of a nomadic circus. It is worth considering that this was the end of the 19th century, at that time the performances of miracle people were extremely popular. The German persuaded Fedor’s relatives to send him to Germany.

He pacified his few offenders by stuffing their hats under the logs of the bathhouses or laying them on the ridges of the roofs

Work in the circus

Circus poster

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

Fedor Andreevich Makhnov in Europe

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

In Europe, the giant was a real curiosity and a public favorite

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

Family

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

Fedor was very kind person, loved his children, was always ready to help the villagers

Some time later, Fyodor married a local teacher, Efrosinya Lebedeva. Her height was more than 180 cm, but her wife still looked like a baby next to her husband. The family had five children.
When the supply of money came to an end, the giant again went to Europe, where he was met with constant success. After the performances, Fyodor Makhnov and his wife were invited to social events. Even there, Fedor 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 was simply no cell in which he could fit.

Eating a Giant

Each meal consisted of several kilograms of food, and Makhnov could sleep for as long as 24 hours. The giant had 4 meals a day. For example, breakfast consisted of 8 round loaves of bread with butter, 20 eggs and 2 liters of tea. Lunch included 1 kg of potatoes, 2.5 kg of meat and 3 liters of beer. 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 given 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 this despite the fact that the official world record is 2 meters 72 centimeters (American Robert Wadlow).

Death

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

3 arshins 9 vershoks equal 254 centimeters, this figure was taken from the contract of 16-year-old Fedor. But after 16 years, Fyodor Makhnov continued to grow and, presumably, could add another 31 cm, reaching 285 cm. The giant’s wife, Efrosinya, wanted to correct the incorrect indicator on the monument, but she was prevented by the First World War that soon began World War, and then revolution. Unfortunately, no official confirmation of such gigantic growth. There is a version that 285 cm is the figure that was indicated on the posters and was taken taking into account the Cossack hat and high-heeled boots. These items of clothing were certainly used during Fedor’s performances. The only reliable source to judge the giant’s growth is lifetime photographs. However, comparing Fedor with other objects on them known height presented in the photographs, we can conclude that, at least at the time of photography, the giant’s height did not exceed 240 cm. Moreover, during the time of Fyodor Makhnov, official measurements were not taken, and since he was performing on a tour of Europe, the organizers quite may have exaggerated his height. 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 person in memory of Fyodor Makhnov “Vitebsk Giant”. The winner of the competition among men was Vitebsk resident Alexey Andreyanov with a height of 208 cm. Among women, Natalya Rusanova was the tallest - 197.5 cm.

• Fedor managed to bring many innovations to the village economy. Almost the first in the area, he began to actively use machines related to agriculture, which I purchased in Germany.
• When traveling on a ship across the Atlantic, I had to remodel the ship's cabin for Fedor.
• The Makhnov family visited almost all European countries. They were even in the Vatican and communicated with the Pope himself. According to family legend, he gave 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 Andreevich Makhnov - the tallest man in the world in history

The tallest man the world has ever seen is considered to be Fyodor Makhnov. His height was 285 centimeters and his weight was about 182 kg.

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

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


The guy was distinguished not only by his height, but also by his strength. He worked a lot in the field, helping the blacksmith. At the age of eight he could lift an adult with one hand, and sometimes harnessed himself instead of a horse. He was kind and friendly by nature. He played the harmonica well.

Once a German Otto Bilinder, the owner of a circus, saw a tall guy at the Polotsk market in Vitebsk. He persuaded his father to let Fedor go to Germany to work in the circus. Otto took care of the education of his strongman and paid him well.
In Berlin, Otto Belender settled the guest at his home, hired teachers to improve his educational level (before that he had only completed 3 grades), and taught him circus tricks. Fyodor broke bricks with the edge of his palm; unbent and bent horseshoes and thick nails; lying on his back, he lifted the platform with three musicians along with their instruments. But people came to the circus to see, first of all, the artist himself - the real Gulliver. And he grew by leaps and bounds. By the age of 25 he 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, Fyodor wanted strawberries - they delivered them to him. In Holland, in Paris, he repeatedly violated the contract, once they wanted to imprison him for hooliganism, but the cells of the Parisian police did not accommodate people of such stature.

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

Together they traveled the world. Fyodor attended a reception with the German Chancellor, an audience with the Pope, and a reception with US President Theodore Roosevelt. So that Makhnov could cross the ocean, the cabin of the ship was remodeled for him. Euphrosyne liked this life, she even wanted to stay in Germany.

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

The magazine "Nature and People" for 1903 published the following note about him:
The tallest man in the world. They are now unanimously recognized as the Russian giant Theodore Makhov. Currently, he has arrived with his impresario in Berlin, where he is shown in the panopticon. In the Berlin Anthropological Museum, Makhov was carefully measured and weighed, and he was given a document with the following content: “Theodore Makhov, born in Russia, in the town of Kustyaki, Vitebsk province, has a height of 238 centimeters [typo] and is one of the tallest giants, that have ever existed on globe. In many respects it is of great scientific interest."

And indeed, all the giants shown so far in Europe were in most cases 12-15 santa. below Makhov.
Feodor Makhov comes from ancient family, whose ancestors moved to Russia from the south, from Syria. Makhov's parents, as well as his two sisters, are of quite normal height; his grandfather was very tall, but, in any case, not a giant. Feodor Makhov is currently only 22 years old. To give at least some idea of ​​the size of his body, let's say that his boot, which barely reaches the giant's knee, reaches his chest normal person, and a 12-year-old boy could fit headlong into it. The impresario pays Makhov 5,000 rubles annually and also maintains it at his own expense. Only with such a huge amount of money was it possible for the impresario to persuade the giant to appear in panopticons, since Makhov, an intelligent man and not in need, refused such an honor for a long time.”

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


As anthropologists rightly noted, this resident of Belarus is “all legs.” If he had been born without legs, he would hardly have reached average height. His head, which was unusually small for such a huge body, gave him an unusually ridiculous appearance, which he tried to hide by wearing a richly decorated Cossack uniform.


His ears were 15 cm long and his lips 10 cm wide, which must have made a certain impression on his wife, a woman of normal size, when they kissed. After a few days of rest he always became taller. This was caused by the extraordinary ability of his spine to shrink and contract under heavy loads.


He ate, like everyone else, four times a day, but his breakfast could feed an average family for two days. It is known from press materials how our giant ate. In the morning he ate 20 eggs, 8 round loaves of white bread with butter, and 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 the earth has ever carried died on August 28, 1912.

In 1935, son Rodion studied at the Minsk Medical Institute, and at one of the lectures on giantism, the professor gave the example of Fyodor Makhnov. Imagine everyone’s amazement when Rodion stood up and said that it was his father. That's when they asked him to talk to the family about selling his father's skeleton. The mother agreed to sell it for 5 thousand rubles. After her husband's death, she married a second time and gave birth to three more children. Money was needed...
Many people were present at the exhumation, including the widow and children. In 1936, Minsk professor D.M. Golub published an article about the skeleton of Acromegalic 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 Patriotic War the skeleton is missing.

Today, the children of Fyodor and Efrosinya Makhnov are no longer alive. Everyone lived a difficult but worthy life. During the years of collectivization, they wanted to dispossess the Makhnov family and deport it, but the peasants interceded and left them alone. Nikolai and Gavrila were officers and went through repression. Rehabilitated. Rodion became a doctor and during the Great Patriotic War he was shot by the Nazis for his connection with the partisans. The eldest Maria worked all her life as a livestock specialist, and the youngest Masha worked as an accountant. All the children were more like their mother's height - 180 - 190 cm. Makhnov's descendants were scattered throughout the cities and villages of Belarus and Russia. On the site of the former estate, only a birch tree remained, perhaps planted by Fyodor Makhnov himself. And the names of the Giants' Farm and the Giants' Forest are reminiscent of local residents about the tallest man in the world who once lived in these places.

Fedor Makhnov is the tallest man on the planet.

Fyodor Andreevich Makhnov, who lived on turn of XIX-XX centuries, is called the tallest man in the world. His height was 285 centimeters! The size of the giant was such that a 12-year-old child could easily fit in his boot. Each meal consisted of several kilograms of food, and Makhnov could sleep for as long as 24 hours. In Europe, the giant was a real curiosity and a public favorite.


Fyodor Makhnov's height was 285 cm.

Fedor Andreevich Makhnov comes from the village of Kostyuki, Vitebsk district (former Russian Empire, now Belarus). In addition to him, two more sons grew up in the Makhnov family. Their height was above average, but Fedor “outdid” everyone. The grandfather took his grandson in to raise him, because Fyodor’s mother died during childbirth, the fetus turned out to be too large.

As they say, the boy grew by leaps and bounds. At the age of 12, his height was already 2 meters. Fedor also had the corresponding strength in his hands. He could lift a grown man with one hand, carried huge logs, harnessed instead of horses and transported carts with hay.


Fyodor Makhnov plays cards with friends.

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. Working in cold water resulted in illnesses for Fedor, which manifested themselves more than once in the future.

When the young giant turned 14 years old, he began to hit his head on the ceiling, and the hut had to be rebuilt. They were supposed to make a custom bed for Fyodor, but the blacksmith delayed fulfilling the order, and the boy managed to outgrow it.

One day, a giant teenager working part-time at the Polotsk Bazaar in Vitebsk was seen by Otto Bilinder, the owner of a nomadic circus. It is worth considering that this was the end of the 19th century, at that time the performances of miracle people were extremely popular. The German persuaded Fedor’s relatives to send him to Germany.


Poster with the image of Fyodor Makhnov.

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

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

Fyodor Makhnov next to people of normal height.

By the age of 25, Fyodor Makhnov’s height was already 285 cm. Naturally, with such dimensions, the giant had proper nutrition. For breakfast, he ate an omelette of 20 eggs, 8 loaves of bread, and drank 2 liters of tea. Lunch consisted of 2.5 kg of meat, the same amount of potatoes, and a bowl of vegetables. The giant could sleep for more than 24 hours.

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


Left: Fyodor Makhnov with his wife Efrosinya Lebedeva.

Fyodor Makhnov married a local teacher, Efrosinya Lebedeva. Her height was more than 180 cm, but her wife still looked like a baby next to her husband. The family had five children.

When the supply of money came to an end, the giant again went to Europe, where he was met with constant success. After the performances, Fyodor Makhnov and his wife were invited to social events. Even there, Fedor 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 was simply no cell in which he could fit.


Fyodor Makhnov is the tallest man in the Russian Empire.

Fyodor Makhnov died at the age of 34. According to one version, it was the consequences of a cold suffered in childhood. On the tombstone it is written that the giant’s height was 3 arshins 9 vershoks, i.e. 254 cm. However, this information is not correct. The figure was taken from Makhnov's contract with Bidinder, when the giant was only 16 years old. Then he grew another 31 cm. The wife wanted to correct the annoying mistake, but the outbreak of the First World War prevented her.

Tombstone of Fyodor Makhnov.