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Grigory Kosinsky - Russian Bogatyr From the Vyatka Forests
The famous strongman Fyodor Besov came to the town of Slobodskaya, in the Vyatka province. He demonstrated mind-blowing tricks: he broke chains, juggled three-pound weights blindfolded, tore a deck of cards, bent copper coins with his fingers, bent a metal beam on his shoulders, smashed a cobblestone with his fist... And in general, he plunged into indescribable delight local residents. At the end of the performance, Besov, as he always practiced, addressed the audience: Maybe someone would like to wrestle with me on belts? The hall fell silent.
And suddenly, from somewhere in the gallery, someone’s bass rumbled: “It’s possible...
From the upper rows a shaggy monster, a goblin from Russian fairy tales, was making its way to the arena. A bearded giant, clumsy, wearing an unbuttoned khaki shirt and homespun ports. Wrapped in onuchas, in bast shoes.
The fight was short-lived. As soon as Fyodor Besov tried to make a grab, he felt that his legs were lifted off the ground, the earth and sky changed places, and then it became dark.
The giant's name was Grigory Kosinsky, and he was a peasant of the Vyatka province, and he was exactly 33 years old, like the legendary Ilya of Muromets, who climbed out of the oven at that age. Grigory did not lie on the stove; all his fellow villagers knew about his incredible strength...
It didn’t cost Grisha anything to lift the log with the men and, spinning it above his head, create a merry carousel. One day, a horse got stuck in a fence while it was trying to jump over the fence. Grisha took her by the front legs and threw her across the garden, grumbling: “Where the devil has taken you?”
The power was overwhelming. Once I heard a cow mooing and saw that it had fallen into the cellar. He grabbed her by the horns, pulled her out, but at the same time twisted her neck.
One day the mother heard the boys screaming and looked out the window. Her son was pushing a horseless cart loaded with sacks of grain. There are twenty pounds on the cart, and even the neighbors’ guys on the sacks.
Where is the horse?
Why chase her in vain? Let him rest. Left it on the threshing floor.
Grisha could, for example, tie twelve two-pound weights, put them on his shoulders and walk around with this colossal load. They say that one day he put a forty-pound woman in a sleigh in which a contractor was riding, shortchanging the workers, for driving piles.
Besov realized that he had met a nugget. After the performance, he took Grisha backstage and spent a long time trying to persuade him to go with him - to show his strength. Besov talked enthusiastically about Grisha's future career, about the glory that awaited him. He finally agreed.
They began to perform together, showed strength tricks, and encouraged the audience to compete in strength training.
In 1906, at the Kazan Fair, a happy accident brought Kashcheev (pseudonym of Grigory Kosinsky) together with a real wrestler - European champion Ivan Zaikin, who headed the wrestling championship in the Nikitin circus. This meeting finally decided future fate Gregory. Zaikin helped him master wrestling techniques and brought him to the big arena. Soon the Vyatka man became a thunderstorm for venerable wrestlers, calmly putting famous champions on their shoulder blades.
In 1908, together with the great Ivan Poddubny and Ivan Zaikin, Grigory Kashcheev went to Paris for the World Championship at the Casino de Paré, where the strongest wrestlers of that time gathered - the Hungarian Janos, the Greek Karaman, the Turk Pengal, the German Schneider, the Japanese Ono Okitaro, the French Eugene and Embal Calmette, the Italian Raitsevich. All of them were defeated by Russian heroes. And Grigory Kashcheev’s personal account included five broken ribs and three broken arms of overseas strongmen.
Kashcheev’s performances were a huge success, but more and more often he said: No, I’ll leave the circus. I'll return home and plow the land.
Our heroes returned to their homeland in victory. It would seem that now Kashcheev’s real wrestling career had begun, but he still gave up everything and went to his village to plow the land. Best characteristic Russian hero - giant Grigory Kashcheev are the words of the famous organizer of French wrestling championships, editor-in-chief of the sports magazine "Hercules" Ivan Vladimirovich Lebedev: I had to see a lot of original people when I was director of wrestling, but still I must consider the giant Grigory the most interesting in character Kashcheeva. In fact, it is difficult to imagine that a person who has made himself European name, voluntarily left the arena back to his village, and again took up the plow and harrow.
This man had enormous strength. Almost a fathom tall (218 cm), Kashcheev, if he were a foreigner, would have earned a lot of money, because he surpassed all foreign giants in strength. (Hercules Magazine, No. 2, 1915).
Kashcheev died in 1914. There were many legends about his death, but here is what is reported in the obituary published in the June issue of the Hercules magazine for 1914: On May 25, in his fifth decade, the famous giant wrestler Grigory Kashcheev, who left the circus arena and was engaged in farming in his native village Saltyki. Not so long ago, the name of Kashcheev thundered not only in Russia, but also abroad. If in his place there had been another person, more greedy for money and fame, then he could have made a global career for himself. But Grisha was a Russian peasant farmer at heart, and he was irresistibly drawn from the most profitable engagements - home, to the land. He was a great hero. But how many people know about it today?
In Russia in mid-19th century century, in the royal cabinet there was a position of “Chief Observer of the Physical Development of the Population.”
Representatives of the Russian population who developed under such supervision still surprise with their very development. For example, in weightlifting, those who “pulled” less than 100 kilograms had nothing to do in the Strong Club.
1. Sergei Eliseev (1876 - 1938). Lightweight weightlifter
A world record holder, a hereditary hero of small stature, he became famous by chance at a city festival in Ufa - he won a belt wrestling tournament against a multiple champion. The next day, three rams were brought to Eliseev’s house as a generous act of recognition from the defeated ex-champion.
Trick. Took in right hand a weight weighing 62 kg, raised it up, then slowly lowered it to the side with a straight arm and held the hand with the weight for several seconds horizontal position. Three times in a row he pulled out two untied two-pound weights with one hand. In the two-arm press, he lifted 145 kg and cleaned 160.2 kg.
2. Ivan Zaikin (1880 - 1949). Chaliapin of Russian muscles
World champion in wrestling, champion in weight lifting, circus performer, one of the first Russian aviators. Foreign newspapers called him “Chaliapin of Russian muscles.” His athletic performances caused a sensation. In 1908, Zaikin toured in Paris. After the athlete’s performance, the chains that Zaikin had broken, the iron beam bent on his shoulders, and the “bracelets” and “ties” he had tied from strip iron were displayed in front of the circus. Some of these exhibits were acquired by the Paris Cabinet of Curiosities and were displayed along with other curiosities.
Trick. Zaikin carried a 25-pound anchor on his shoulders, lifted a long barbell onto his shoulders, on which ten people sat, and began to rotate it (“a living carousel”).
3. Georg Hackenschmidt (1878 - 1968). Russian lion
World champion in wrestling and world record holder in weightlifting. Since childhood, Gaak trained: he long jumped 4 m 90 cm, high jumped 1 m 40 cm, and ran 180 m in 26 seconds. To strengthen his legs, he practiced climbing the spiral staircase to the spire of the Olivest Church with two-pound weights. Gaack got into sports by accident: Doctor Kraevsky, “the father of Russian athletics,” convinced him that “he could easily become the strongest man in the world.” In 1897, Haack rushed to St. Petersburg, where he smashed the capital's heavyweights to smithereens. Training with Kraevsky, Gaak quickly takes all the first places in Russia (by the way, he ate everything he wanted, but drank only milk), and goes to Vienna. Next - Paris, London, Australia, Canada, America - and the title of Russian Lion and Himself strong man late XIX- beginning of the 20th century.
Trick. With one hand I pressed a barbell weighing 122 kg. He took 41 kg dumbbells in each hand and spread his straight arms horizontally to the sides. I pressed a barbell weighing 145 kg on a wrestling bridge. With his arms crossed on his back, Gaak lifted 86 kg from a deep squat. I squatted 50 times with a 50 kg barbell. Today the trick is called “gaak-exercise” or simply “gaak”.
4. Grigory Kashcheev (present - Kosinsky, 1863 - 1914). Giant downshifter
A hero from the village with a height advantage of 2.18 m. At the village fair, he defeated the visiting circus performer Besov, who immediately convinced him to go with him - “to show strength.”
“Grisha and I are coming to a remote, remote town. They didn’t see people like us there... Kashcheev (Kosinsky’s pseudonym) is shaggy, like an animal, and my last name is Besov... We don’t have a human appearance. They decided that we were werewolves... Without saying a bad word, they lassoed us, took us outside the city and said: “If you don’t leave our city on good terms, then blame yourself.”
In 1906, Grigory Kashcheev first met world-class wrestlers and became friends with Zaikin, who helped him enter the big arena. Soon Kashcheev put all the famous strongmen on the shoulder blades, and in 1908, together with Poddubny and Zaikin, he went to Paris for the World Championship, from where they brought victory.
Trick. It would seem that now Kashcheev’s real wrestling career had begun, but, having refused the most profitable engagements, he abandoned everything and went to his village to plow the land.
“I had to see a lot of original people when I was the director of wrestling, but still I have to think of the giant Grigory Kashcheev as the most interesting in character. In fact, it’s hard to imagine that a gentleman, who had made a European name for himself within 3-4 years, would voluntarily leave the arena back to his village and take up the plow and harrow again. That same gentleman was of enormous strength. Almost a fathom tall, Kashcheev, if he were a foreigner, would have earned large capital, because he surpassed all foreign giants in strength.” (Hercules Magazine, No. 2, 1915).
5. Pyotr Krylov (1871 - 1933). King of weights
A Muscovite, who changed his profession as a navigator of the merchant fleet to the profession of an athlete, went all the way from fairs and “booths of living miracles” to large circuses and French wrestling championships. He's attention! - was a permanent winner of competitions for the best athletic figure, taking the example of the athlete Emil Foss as a child, who entered the arena in silk tights and leopard skin. He began his first training at home with irons, which he tied to a floor brush.
Trick. Krylov set several world records. In the “wrestling bridge” position, he squeezed 134 kg with both hands, and 114.6 kg with his left hand. Bench press in a “soldier’s stance”: with his left hand he lifted a two-pound weight 86 times in a row. The founder of spectacular stunts that were then repeated by other athletes, and today by paratroopers: bending a rail on the shoulders, driving a car over the body, raising a platform with a horse and rider. Showing athletic performances, Krylov cheerfully commented on them. And his remarks were always convincing... For example, when he broke stones with his fist, he invariably addressed the audience with the following words: “Gentlemen, if you think that there is falsehood in this number, then I can break this stone with my fist on the head of anyone from the public who wants it.” " From practice I could easily switch to theory... and give a lecture on physical culture.
6. Alexander Zass (1888 - 1962). Russian Samson
Alexander Zass's father was just the man who could go up against a visiting strongman in the circus and win the fight. It is not surprising that Alexander ended up in the circus and took up everything at once: aerial gymnastics, horse riding, wrestling. In 1914 it struck world war and Alexander was drafted into the army in the 180 Vindavsky cavalry regiment. One day he was returning from reconnaissance and suddenly, already close to Russian positions, the enemy noticed him and opened fire. The bullet shot through the horse's leg. The Austrian soldiers, seeing that the horse and rider had fallen, did not pursue the cavalryman and turned back. And Alexander, making sure that the danger had passed, did not want to leave the wounded horse in no man's land. True, there was still half a kilometer left to the regiment's location, but this did not bother him. Alexander shouldered the horse and brought it to his camp. In the future, Alexander will include in his repertoire carrying on the shoulders of a horse. Having fallen into Austrian captivity, the strongman escapes on the third attempt, since unbending bars and breaking chains is his profession. Once in Europe, he defeated all the strongmen of Europe and became the Russian Samson.
Trick. Several decades since circus posters Many countries did not forget his name, or rather his pseudonym - Samson. The repertoire of his power routines was amazing: he carried a horse or a piano around the arena with a pianist and dancer located on the lid; caught with his hands a 90-kilogram cannonball, which was fired from a circus cannon from a distance of 8 meters; he tore a metal beam with assistants sitting at its ends from the floor and held it in his teeth; having threaded the shin of one leg into the loop of a rope fixed just under the dome, he held the platform with the piano and the pianist in his teeth; lying with his bare back on a board studded with nails, he held a stone weighing 500 kilograms on his chest, which was hit by those from the public with sledgehammers; in the famous attraction Man-Projectile, he caught with his hands an assistant flying out of the muzzle of a circus cannon and describing a 12-meter trajectory above the arena. In Sheffield in 1938, he was run over by a truck loaded with coal in front of a crowd. Samson stood up and, smiling, bowed to the audience.
7. Frederick Müller (1867-1925). Evgeniy Sandov
Few people know that weightlifting record holder and “pose wizard” Evgeniy Sandov is actually Frederic Müller. Not only a strong athlete, but also a savvy businessman, Muler realized that a career in strength sports would go faster if you take Russian name. The newly minted Sandow differed from the frail Müller in his outstanding strength, achieved through training and physical education.
Trick. Weighing no more than 80 kg, he set a world record by squeezing 101.5 kg with one hand. He did a backflip, holding 1.5 pounds in each hand. Within four minutes he could do 200 push-ups.
Business trick. In 1930 under his Russian name, he published the book “Bodybuilding”, giving the name to this sport in all English-speaking countries and also giving reason to believe that bodybuilding was invented by the Russians.
In Russia in the middle of the 19th century, in the tsar’s office there was a position of “Chief Observer of the Physical Development of the Population.” Representatives of the Russian population who developed under such supervision still surprise with their very development.
For example, in weightlifting, those who “pulled” less than 100 kilograms had nothing to do in the Strong Club.
Sergei Eliseev (1876 – 1938). Lightweight weightlifter
Sergei Eliseev and Georg Hackenschmit
A world record holder, a hereditary hero of small stature, he accidentally became famous at a city festival in Ufa - he won a belt wrestling tournament against a multiple champion. The next day, three rams were brought to Eliseev’s house as a generous act of recognition from the defeated ex-champion.
Trick. He took a weight weighing 62 kg in his right hand, lifted it up, then slowly lowered it to the side with a straight arm and held the hand with the weight in a horizontal position for several seconds. Three times in a row he pulled out two untied two-pound weights with one hand. In the two-arm press, he lifted 145 kg and cleaned 160.2 kg.
Ivan Zaikin (1880 – 1949). Chaliapin of Russian muscles
World champion in wrestling, champion in weight lifting, circus performer, one of the first Russian aviators.
Foreign newspapers called him “the Chaliapin of Russian muscles.”
His athletic performances became a sensation. In 1908, Zaikin toured in Paris. After the athlete’s performance, the chains that Zaikin had broken, the iron beam bent on his shoulders, and the “bracelets” and “ties” he had tied from strip iron were displayed in front of the circus. Some of these exhibits were acquired by the Paris Cabinet of Curiosities and were displayed along with other curiosities.
Trick. Zaikin carried a 25-pound anchor on his shoulders, lifted a long barbell onto his shoulders, on which ten people sat, and began to rotate it (“living carousel”).
Georg Hackenschmidt (1878 – 1968). Russian lion
World champion in wrestling and world record holder in weightlifting. Since childhood, Gaak trained: he long jumped 4.9 meters, high jumped 1.4 meters, and ran 180 meters in 26 seconds. To strengthen his legs, he practiced climbing the spiral staircase to the spire of the Olivest Church with two-pound weights.
Gaak got into sports by accident: Doctor Kraevsky - “the father of Russian athletics” - convinced him that “he could easily become the strongest man in the world.” In 1897, Haack rushed to St. Petersburg, where he smashed the capital's heavyweights to smithereens. Training with Kraevsky, Gaak quickly takes all the first places in Russia (by the way, he ate everything he wanted, but drank only milk), and goes to Vienna. Next - Paris, London, Australia, Canada, America - and the title of the Russian Lion and the Strongest Man of the late 19th - early 20th centuries.
Trick. With one hand I pressed a barbell weighing 122 kg. He took 41 kg dumbbells in each hand and spread his straight arms horizontally to the sides. I pressed a barbell weighing 145 kg on a wrestling bridge. With his arms crossed on his back, Gaak lifted 86 kg from a deep squat. I squatted 50 times with a 50 kg barbell. Today the trick is called “gaak-exercise” or simply “gaak”.
Grigory Kashcheev (present - Kosinsky, 1863 - 1914). Giant downshifter
A hero from the village with a height advantage of 2.18 m. At the village fair, he defeated the visiting circus performer Besov, who immediately convinced him to go with him - “to show strength.”
“Grisha and I are coming to a remote, remote town. They never saw people like us there. Kashcheev (Kosinsky’s pseudonym) is shaggy, like a beast, and my last name is Besov. We have no human appearance. They decided that we were werewolves... Without saying a bad word, they lassoed us, took us out of the city and said: “If you don’t leave our city on good terms, then blame yourself!”, Besov recalled.
In 1906, Grigory Kashcheev first met world-class wrestlers and became friends with Zaikin, who helped him enter the big arena. Soon Kashcheev put all the famous strongmen on the shoulder blades, and in 1908, together with Poddubny and Zaikin, he went to Paris to the World Championship, from where they brought victory.
Trick. It would seem that now Kashcheev’s real wrestling career has begun, but, having abandoned the most advantageous offers, he left everything and went to his village to plow the land.
“I had to see a lot of original people when I was the director of wrestling, but still I have to think of the giant Grigory Kashcheev as the most interesting in character. In fact, it is hard to imagine that a gentleman, who had made a European name for himself within 3-4 years, would voluntarily leave the arena back to his village and take up the plow and harrow again. That same gentleman was of enormous strength. Almost a fathom tall, Kashcheev, if he were a foreigner, would have earned large capital, because he surpassed all foreign giants in strength" (Hercules Magazine, No. 2, 1915).
Pyotr Krylov (1871 – 1933). King of weights
A Muscovite, who changed his profession as a merchant navy navigator to an athlete, went all the way from fairs and “booths of living miracles” to large circuses and French wrestling championships. He (attention!) was a permanent winner of competitions for the best athletic figure, taking the example of the athlete Emil Foss as a child, who entered the arena in silk tights and leopard skin. He began his first training at home with irons, which he tied to a floor brush.
Trick. Krylov set several world records. In the “wrestling bridge” position, he squeezed 134 kg with both hands, and 114.6 kg with his left hand. Bench press in a “soldier’s stance”: with his left hand he lifted a two-pound weight 86 times in a row. The founder of spectacular stunts that were then repeated by other athletes, and today by paratroopers: bending a rail on the shoulders, driving a car over the body, raising a platform with a horse and rider. While performing athletic performances, Krylov cheerfully commented on them. His remarks were always convincing. For example, when he smashed stones with his fist, he invariably addressed the audience with the following words:
“Gentlemen, if you think that there is falseness in this number, then I can break this stone with my fist on the head of anyone from the public.”
From practice, Krylov could easily switch to theory and give a lecture on physical culture.
Alexander Zass (1888 – 1962). Russian Samson
Alexander Zass's father was just the man who could go up against a visiting strongman in the circus and win the fight. It is not surprising that Alexander ended up in the circus and took up everything at once: aerial gymnastics, horse riding, wrestling. In 1914, the World War broke out, and Alexander was drafted into the army in the 180th Vindavsky Cavalry Regiment. One day he was returning from reconnaissance and suddenly, already close to Russian positions, the enemy noticed him and opened fire. The bullet shot through the horse's leg. The Austrian soldiers, seeing that the horse and rider had fallen, did not pursue the cavalryman and turned back. And Alexander, making sure that the danger had passed, did not want to leave the wounded horse in no man's land. True, there was still half a kilometer left to the regiment's location, but this did not bother him. Alexander shouldered the horse and brought it to his camp. In the future, Alexander will include in his repertoire carrying on the shoulders of a horse. Having fallen into Austrian captivity, the strongman escapes on the third attempt, fortunately he knew how to bend bars and break chains. Once in Europe, he defeated all the strongmen of Europe and became the “Russian Samson.”
Trick. For several decades, his name, or rather his pseudonym - Samson, did not leave the circus posters of many countries. His repertoire of power moves was amazing: he carried a horse or a piano around the arena with a pianist and dancer located on the lid, and caught with his hands a 90-kilogram cannonball, which was fired from a circus cannon from a distance of 8 meters. “Russian Samson” lifted a metal beam with assistants sitting at its ends from the floor and held it in his teeth. Having threaded the shin of one leg into the loop of a rope fixed under the very dome, he held the platform with the piano and the pianist in his teeth. Lying with his bare back on a board studded with nails, Zaas held a stone weighing 500 kilograms on his chest, which those who wished (from the public) hit with sledgehammers. In the famous "Projectile Man" attraction, he caught with his hands an assistant flying out of the mouth of a circus cannon and describing a 12-meter trajectory above the arena. In Sheffield in 1938, he was run over by a truck loaded with coal in front of a crowd. Samson stood up and, smiling, bowed to the audience.
Frederick Müller (1867–1925). Evgeniy Sandov
Few people know that the weightlifting record holder and “wizard of the pose” Evgeniy Sandov is Frederik Müller. Not only a strong athlete, but also a savvy businessman, Muler realized that a career in strength sports would go faster if he took a Russian name. The newly minted Sandow differed from the frail Müller in his outstanding strength, achieved through training and physical education.
Trick. Weighing less than 80 kg, he set a world record with a one-arm bench press of 101.5 kg. He did a backflip, holding 1.5 pounds in each hand. Within four minutes he could do 200 push-ups.
Business trick. In 1930, under his Russian name, he published the book "Bodybuilding", giving the name to this sport in all English-speaking countries and also giving reason to believe that bodybuilding was invented by the Russians.
The best description of the Russian hero-giant are the words of the famous organizer of French wrestling championships, editor-in-chief of the sports magazine “Hercules” I. V. Lebedev: “I had to see a lot of original people when I was director of wrestling, but still the most interesting in character I must consider the giant Grigory Kashcheev. In fact, it is difficult to imagine that a person who has made a European name for himself within 3–4 years would voluntarily leave the arena back to his native village and again take up the plow and harrow. This man had enormous strength. Almost a fathom tall (218 cm), Kashcheev, if he were a foreigner, would have earned a lot of money, because he surpassed all foreign giants in strength.”
VYATSK BOGATYR GRIGORY KASCHEYEV
The famous strongman Fyodor Besov came to the town of Slobodskaya, in the Vyatka province. He demonstrated mind-blowing tricks: he broke chains, juggled three-pound weights blindfolded, tore a deck of cards, bent copper coins with his fingers, bent a metal beam on his shoulders, smashed a cobblestone with his fist... And in general, he plunged the local residents into indescribable delight. At the end of the performance, Besov, as he always practiced, addressed the audience: Maybe someone would like to wrestle with me on belts? The hall fell silent. There were no takers. Then the athlete called his assistant and, taking ten rubles from him, raised his hand up, and again turned to the audience with a smile: And this is for the one who can hold out against me for ten minutes! And again silence in the hall.
And suddenly, from somewhere in the gallery, someone’s bass rumbled: Let me try. To the delight of the audience, a bearded man in bast shoes and a canvas shirt entered the arena. He turned out to be tall - more than two meters, his shoulders would hardly fit through the door. This was a strongman-peasant from the village of Saltyki, famous throughout the province, Grigory Kosinsky. There were legends about him. Grisha could, for example, tie twelve two-pound weights, put them on his shoulders and walk around with this colossal load. They say that one day he put a forty-pound woman in a sleigh in which a contractor was riding, shortchanging the workers, for driving piles. The fight began. Neither knowledge of techniques nor extensive experience could save Besov from defeat. The audience gasped with delight when the bearded giant pinned the visiting athlete to the mat. Besov realized that he had met a nugget. After the performance, he took Grisha backstage and spent a long time trying to persuade him to go with him - to show his strength. Besov talked enthusiastically about Grisha's future career, about the glory that awaited him. He finally agreed.
Started new life, but, of course, not as sweet as Besov pictured for him. The performances took place in the provinces, most often under open air, with big physical activity. There were also funny incidents during these touring wanderings. This is what Besov told about one of the incidents that happened to them. Grisha and I arrive in a remote, remote town. They didn’t see people like us there... Kashcheev (Kosinsky’s pseudonym) is shaggy, like an animal, and my last name is Besov... We don’t have a human appearance. They decided that we were werewolves... Without saying a bad word, they lassoed us, took us out of town and said: If you don’t leave our city on good terms, then blame yourself. So Grisha and I - God bless our legs... Kashcheev’s performances were a huge success, but more and more often he said: No, I’ll leave the circus. I'll return home and plow the land.
In 1906 he met world-class wrestlers for the first time. He became friends with Ivan Zaikin, who helped him enter the big arena. Soon Kashcheev put many famous strongmen on the shoulder blades, and in 1908, together with Ivan Poddubny and Ivan Zaikin, he went to the world championship in Paris. Our heroes returned to their homeland in victory. Kashcheev took prize place. It would seem that now Kashcheev’s real wrestling career had begun, but he still gave up everything and went to his village to plow the land. The best description of the Russian hero - giant Grigory Kashcheev are the words of the famous organizer of French wrestling championships, editor-in-chief of the sports magazine "Hercules" Ivan Vladimirovich Lebedev: I had to see a lot of original people when I was director of wrestling, but still I must consider the most interesting in character giant Grigory Kashcheev. In fact, it is difficult to imagine that a person who has made a European name for himself within 3–4 years would voluntarily leave the arena back to his village and again take up the plow and harrow.
This man had enormous strength. Almost a fathom tall (218 cm), Kashcheev, if he were a foreigner, would have earned a lot of money, because he surpassed all foreign giants in strength. (Hercules Magazine, No. 2, 1915). Kashcheev died in 1914. There were many legends about his death, but here is what is reported in the obituary published in the June issue of the Hercules magazine for 1914: On May 25, in his fifth decade, the famous giant wrestler Grigory Kashcheev, who left the circus arena and was engaged in farming in his home village of Saltyki. Not so long ago, the name of Kashcheev thundered not only in Russia, but also abroad. If in his place there had been another person, more greedy for money and fame, then he could have made a global career for himself. But Grisha was a Russian peasant farmer at heart, and he was irresistibly drawn from the most profitable engagements - home, to the land. He was a great hero. But how many people know about it today?
“The story of this is old, but the glory is imperishable.” /Virgil/
The popular strongman Fyodor Besov arrived in the city of Slobodskaya, in the Vyatka province. He demonstrated mind-blowing tricks: he broke chains, juggled three-pound weights blindfolded, tore a deck of cards, bent copper coins with his fingers, bent a metal beam on his shoulders, smashed a cobblestone with his fist... And in general, he plunged the local inhabitants into indescribable ecstasy. At the end of the performance, Besov, as he constantly practiced, turned to the audience: “Maybe someone would like to wrestle with me on belts?” The hall fell silent. There were no takers. Then the athlete called his assistant and, taking ten rubles from him, raised his hand up, and again turned to the audience with a smile: “And this is for the one who can hold out against me for ten minutes!” And once again there was silence in the hall. And like a jack-in-the-box, from somewhere in the gallery, someone’s bass rumbled: “Let me try.” To the delight of the audience, a bearded man in bast shoes and a canvas shirt entered the arena. He turned out to be tall - more than two meters, his shoulders would hardly fit through the gate. This was a famous strongman-peasant from the village of Saltyki throughout the province, Grigory Kosinsky. There were legends about him. Grisha could, in particular, tie twelve two-pound weights, put them on his shoulders and walk around with this colossal load. They say that once he put a forty-pound woman in the sleigh in which the contractor was riding, shortchanging the workers, for driving piles.
The battle has begun. Neither knowledge of techniques nor enormous skill could save Besov from defeat. The audience gasped with delight when the bearded giant pinned the visiting athlete to the mat.
Besov realized that he had met a nugget. After the performance, he took Grisha backstage and spent a long time convincing him to go with him - “to show strength.” Besov talked enthusiastically about Grisha's future career, about the glory that awaited him. He eventually agreed. A new existence began, but, of course, not as sweet as Besov pictured for him. Performances took place in the provinces, most often in the open air, with great physical exertion. There were also funny incidents during these touring wanderings. This is what Besov told about one of the incidents, the one that happened to them. “We are coming with Grisha to a remote, remote town. We have never seen people like us there... Kashcheev (Kosinsky’s pseudonym) is shaggy, like an animal, and my last name is Besov... We have no human appearance. We decided that we - werewolves... Without saying a bad word, they lassoed us, took us out of the city and said: “If you don’t leave our city on good terms, then blame yourself.” So Grisha and I - God bless you...
Kashcheev’s performances were a huge success, but more and more often he said: “No, I’ll leave the circus. I’ll return home, I’ll plow the land.” In 1906, he met world-class wrestlers for the first time.
He became friends with Ivan Zaikin, the one who helped him get into the big arena. Soon Kashcheev put many famous strongmen on the shoulder blades, and in 1908, together with Ivan Poddubny and Ivan Zaikin, he went to the world championship in Paris. Our heroes returned to their homeland in victory. Kashcheev took the prize position. It would seem that now Kashcheev’s real wrestling career has begun, but he still gave up everything and went to his village to plow the land. The best description of the Russian hero-giant Grigory Kashcheev are the words of the famous organizer of the French wrestling championships, editor-in-chief of the sports magazine “Hercules” Ivan Vladimirovich Lebedev: “I had a lot of original people to mature in my time as director of wrestling, but still I must be the most interesting in character remember the giant Grigory Kashcheev. In fact, it’s hard to imagine that a gentleman who made a European name for himself in the course of 3-4 years voluntarily left the arena back to his village and took up the plow and harrow again. Almost the same gentleman. a fathom tall, Kashcheev, if he were a foreigner, would have earned large capital, because he surpassed all foreign giants in strength." (Hercules Magazine, No. 2, 1915).
Kashcheev died in 1914. There were many legends about his death, but here is what is reported in the obituary published in the June issue of the Hercules magazine for 1914: “On May 25, in his fifth decade, the eminent giant wrestler Grigory Kashcheev, who left the circus arena and was engaged in farming, died of a heart attack in his close village of Saltyki. The name of Kashcheev had not long ago thundered not only in Russia, but also abroad. If in his place there had been another uncle, more greedy for money and fame, he could have made a career for himself throughout the world. was a Russian peasant farmer at heart, and he was irresistibly drawn from the most profitable engagements - home, to the land." He was a great hero. But how many people currently know about it?