Robert Pershing Wadlow is the tallest man in world history, about whose height there is undoubted information.
Wadlow's parents were rather of average height (the father was 180 cm tall and weighed 77 kg); he (the first-born) had two younger brothers and two sisters, of normal height. Until the age of 4, Robert had normal height and weight for his age, but from that moment he began to grow rapidly and attract everyone's attention. At the age of 8 he was 1 m 88 cm tall, at the age of 9 he could carry his father in his arms up the stairs, and at the age of 10 he reached 198 cm in height and 100 kg in weight. At the age of 18, he was already 254 cm tall, weighed 177 kg and wore shoes size 37AA (75 European); By this time, Wadlow, who had already become an all-American celebrity, was making shoes for free.
Over time, Wadlow's health deteriorated: due to his rapid growth, he had limited sensation in his legs and began to require crutches. On June 27, 1940, his height was measured at last time in St. Lewis - the giant's height was 2.72 m. On July 4, 1940, during a speech on the occasion of Independence Day in Manistee, Michigan, a crutch rubbed Robert's leg, which caused an infection and rapidly developing sepsis. Doctors tried to save the life of the famous American with blood transfusions and surgery, but on July 15, the tallest man in the world died in his sleep.
40 thousand Americans attended Wadlow's funeral: his coffin weighed half a ton and was carried by 12 people. Wadlow's grave was carefully concreted at the request of his family, who feared that Robert's remains would be stolen. On his grave there is only written: “At Rest”; his monument is twice the size of the standard one in the cemetery.
Source: Guinness Book of Records
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At the age of five, Brock Brown from Michigan was diagnosed with gigantism. Recently, a 19-year-old boy reached a record height - he grew to 2 meters and 33 centimeters. And Brock, who was awarded the title of the tallest teenager in the world (under 18 classification), continues to grow, adding an average of 15 cm per year.
If Brock continues at the same pace, he will very soon outgrow the tallest man in the world - Sultan Kösen, whose height is 2 m 51 cm.
(Total 14 photos)
In the photo: Brock with his family - Aunt Stacey, mom Darcy and grandmother Joy.
The young man was diagnosed with Sotos syndrome, or cerebral gigantism syndrome, when he was only five years old. Doctors told his mother that the boy would not survive adolescence.
This is a hereditary disease, and nothing can be done about it. It is not even known whether Brock will ever stop growing.
In the photo: five-year-old Brock with his peers.
In addition to gigantism, Brock experiences difficulties in learning and acquiring skills, heart problems, and the young man has a curvature of the spine and spinal stenosis (narrowing of the central spinal canal).
In the photo: Brock with his cousin Savannah.
Despite Brock's health problems, doctors are confident that he can lead normal and long life.
Brock was born with one kidney, so he can't take painkillers, even though he constantly suffers from severe back pain. “It feels like someone is hitting you on the back with a huge tennis racket. I dream that doctors will quickly figure out how to help me with the pain.”
Recently, Brock and his mother Darcy went to see a specialist at Arkansas children's center. Although Dr. Bradley Schafer could do nothing to relieve the constant pain, he reassured them that he believed Brock would live as long as a normal person. With gigantism, life expectancy is short.
Financially, being one of the tallest people in the world is also hard. Clothes, shoes and even oversized socks are made to order. The bed and a special chair for Brock cost a thousand dollars each.
According to the young man's mother, local authorities help them. A couple of times they collected money for them - about 10 thousand dollars. All this went towards clothes and shoes, which Brock quickly outgrows.
Despite all the difficulties, Brock and his mother are happy and look forward to the future. The young man would really like to have a job - in a sporting goods store, for example. Darcy is not going to put pressure on her son in anything, she just wants the boy to be happy.
IN high school Brock's height was already 182 cm.
In addition, the young man has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and outbursts of uncontrollable anger.
Darcy says her son is cheerful and very kind guy. "His heart is as big as his body."
Darcy with newborn Brock.
10 Bernard Coyne (USA) 2.49 meters
In tenth place on the list of the tallest people in the world is Bernard Coyne; according to the official version, his height reached 249 centimeters, and according to unconfirmed facts it was 2.53 meters. Bernard continued to grow throughout his life and it is unknown how tall he could have reached, but Coyne passed away at a fairly young age. A young man died at the age of 23 in the USA. The guy’s rapid growth was accompanied not only by problems with the spine, like most tall people, but also by a delay in his sexual development.
9 Don Koehler (USA)2.49 meters
The ninth place in our ranking is occupied by Don Koehler, who is quite long time was the tallest man on the planet. Don was born in the USA; the growth abnormality began to appear when the boy was 10 years old. Interesting point In the Köhler family, it turned out that the anomaly did not affect his twin sister at all; she was of quite normal height. Köhler also reached 2 meters 49 centimeters, which caused him huge problems with the health of his spine.
8 Vikas Uppal (India)2.51 meters
This man became famous thanks to his own height of 251 centimeters and ranks eighth on the list. Vikas lived his entire life in India, although his height was not recorded by the Guinness Book of Records. Local health workers monitored it and it was recognized as the highest in India. Vikas died at the age of 21 during an operation.
7 Sultan Kösen (Türkiye)2.51 meters
In seventh place on the list with a height of 251 centimeters is Sultan Kösen. Today the Turk is the most tall man among those living on the planet. Successful treatment of the pituitary gland led to Sultan's growth stopping, which increases the chances of living a longer and longer life. healthy life than other representatives with similar anomalies who lived earlier. On at the moment The Sultan is a farmer, and his main difficulty is finding clothes and shoes that need to be made to order.
6 Edouard Beaupré (Canada)2.51 meters
Sixth place in the ranking is taken by Edouard Beaupré from Canada. Compared to other people of abnormal height, Beaupre had both enormous power This is how he earned money by working in the circus. The strongman's height reached 251 centimeters. Despite his strength, Edward did not live long and died young at the age of 23 from tuberculosis, which was incurable in 1904. But even after his death, he continued to amaze, as his body was embalmed and served as an exhibit at the University of Montreal until 1990. After long legal battles, he was cremated and buried in his homeland.
5 Vaino Myllyrinne (Finland)2.51 meters
The top five tallest people in the world is opened by Vaino Myllirinne from Finland. The Finn also reached 2.51 meters in height only when he was about 40 years old. And at a young age, his height was not so outstanding: at 21 he was 2.22 meters. The Finn lived for 54 years and gained fame as the tallest man to serve in the army.
4 Leonid Stadnik (Ukraine)2.57 meters
In fourth place is Leonid Stadnik, who lives in Ukraine. The height of the tallest Ukrainian was 257 centimeters. At the age of 12, Leonid underwent brain surgery and his height began to increase abnormally. Stadnik worked as a veterinary surgeon and died at the age of 44 from a sudden cerebral hemorrhage. Recent years Leonid suffered from problems with the musculoskeletal system and could not move without additional help.
3 John Carroll (USA)2.63 meters
The top three tallest people on the planet are John Carroll with an amazing height of 263 centimeters. Huge problems with his spine made it very difficult to measure John's height. John had his first leap in adolescence, then in just a few months he grew by 17 centimeters. John lived for 37 years and died in 1967 in Buffalo.
2 Joe Rogan (USA)2.68 meters
The exact date of birth of the person occupying second place on our list is unknown. Joe Rogan was born into the family former slave and was the 12th child. The estimated date of his birth is 1865-1868. The approximate age of his first abnormal growth spurt was 13 years. The guy started making money by taking photographs and selling photos at stations and railway stations. By about 20 years old, the guy could only move with the help of crutches, the reason for this was ankylosis of the joints. Joe's height increased until his death (1905). To this day he is considered the tallest black man on the planet.
1 Robert Wadlow (USA)2.72 meters
The first place as one of the highest representatives is occupied by Robert Wadlow. The American was born in 1918 and became the main record holder with a height of 272 centimeters. The record itself was captured less than a month before Robert’s death. Despite his enormous height, Wadlow not only graduated from the university, but was also a Freemason, for whom the largest ring in the history of the lodge had to be created. During the funeral, 12 people carried the coffin. Robetre's parents were very worried that after their son's death his corpse would not be stolen, so Wadlow's grave was concreted.
Fedor Makhnov2.85 meters
It is impossible not to note another giant in world history. His height was not recorded in the Guinness Book, but, according to some sources, Fyodor Makhnov was the tallest man on Earth in history. According to unverified data, Fedor’s height was 285 centimeters. Fyodor's entire family was distinguished by unprecedented growth, although such giants as he were no longer seen. At one time he entered the circus arena, entertaining people, and when he got tired of traveling around the world, Fedor went home and got married. He died at the age of 34.
01/15/2016 at 16:24 · Johnny · 58 930
Top 10 tallest people in the world
The tallest people in the world have always been interesting to others and left their noticeable mark on history. Unfortunately, their high growth brought them not only fame, but also serious health problems due to the enormous load on the spine and cardiovascular system. Not all people whose height is over 2.40 meters were included in the list known to everyone.
Most often, the fact of their gigantic growth remained captured in images that have amazed and surprised contemporaries for several years, or in medical records. Introducing the top 10 tallest people in the world for 2019.
10. Bernard Coyne (USA) | 2.49 meters
In tenth place on the list of the tallest people in the world is Bernard Coyne; according to the official version, his height reached 249 centimeters, and according to unconfirmed facts it was 2.53 meters. Bernard continued to grow throughout his life and it is unknown how tall he could have reached, but Coyne passed away at a fairly young age. Such a long young man died at the age of 23 in the USA. The guy’s rapid growth was accompanied not only by problems with the spine, like most tall people, but also by a delay in his sexual development.
9. Don Koehler (USA) | 2.49 meters
The ninth place in our ranking is occupied by Don Koehler, who for quite a long time was the tallest man on the planet. Don was born in the USA; the growth abnormality began to appear when the boy was 10 years old. An interesting point in the Koehler family was that the anomaly did not affect his twin sister at all; she was of quite normal height. Köhler also reached 2 meters 49 centimeters, which caused him huge problems with the health of his spine.
8. Vikas Uppal (India) | 2.51 meters
This man became famous thanks to his own height of 251 centimeters and ranks eighth on the list. Vikas lived his entire life in India, although his height was not recorded by the Guinness Book of Records. Local health workers monitored him and he was recognized the highest in India. Vikas died at the age of 21 during an operation.
7. Sultan Kösen (Türkiye) | 2.51 meters
In seventh place on the list with a height of 251 centimeters is Sultan Kösen. Today, the Turk is the tallest person living on the planet. Successful treatment of the pituitary gland led to Sultan's growth stopping, which increases the chances of living a longer and healthier life than other representatives with similar anomalies who lived before. At the moment, Sultan is engaged in farming, and his main difficulty is finding clothes and shoes that need to be made to order.
6. Edouard Beaupré (Canada) | 2.51 meters
Sixth place in the ranking is taken by Edouard Beaupré from Canada. Compared to other people of abnormal height, Beaupre also had enormous strength, which is how he earned money by working in the circus. The strongman's height reached 251 centimeters. Despite his strength, Edward did not live long and died young at the age of 23 from tuberculosis, which was incurable in 1904. But even after his death, he continued to amaze, as his body was embalmed and served as an exhibit at the University of Montreal until 1990. After long legal battles, he was cremated and buried in his homeland.
5. Vaino Myllirinne (Finland) | 2.51 meters
Top five long people in the world is opened by Vaino Myllirinne from Finland. The Finn also reached 2.51 meters in height only when he was about 40 years old. And at a young age, his height was not so outstanding: at 21 he was 2.22 meters. The Finn lived for 54 years and gained fame as the tallest man to serve in the army.
4. Leonid Stadnik (Ukraine) | 2.57 meters
In fourth place is Leonid Stadnik, who lives in Ukraine. The height of the tallest Ukrainian was 257 centimeters. At the age of 12, Leonid underwent brain surgery and his height began to increase abnormally. Stadnik worked as a veterinary surgeon and died at the age of 44 from a sudden cerebral hemorrhage. In recent years, Leonid suffered from problems with the musculoskeletal system and could not move without additional help.
3. John Carroll (USA) | 2.63 meters
The top three tallest people on the planet are John Carroll with an amazing height of 263 centimeters. Huge problems with his spine made it very difficult to measure John's height. John had his first leap in adolescence, then in just a few months he grew by 17 centimeters. John lived for 37 years and died in 1967 in Buffalo.
2. Joe Rogan (USA) | 2.68 meters
The exact date of birth of the person occupying second place on our list is unknown. Joe Rogan was born into the family of a former slave and was the 12th child. The estimated date of his birth is 1865-1868. The approximate age of his first abnormal growth spurt was 13 years. The guy started making money by taking photographs and selling photos at stations and railway stations. By about 20 years old, the guy could only move with the help of crutches, the reason for this was ankylosis of the joints. Joe's height increased until his death (1905). To this day he is considered the tallest black man on the planet.
1. Robert Wadlow (USA) | 2.72 meters
The first place as one of the highest representatives is occupied by Robert Wadlow. The American was born in 1918 and became the main record holder with a height of 272 centimeters. The record itself was captured less than a month before Robert’s death. Despite his enormous height, Wadlow not only graduated from the university, but was also a Freemason, for whom the largest ring in the history of the lodge had to be created. During the funeral, 12 people carried the coffin. Robetre's parents were very worried that after their son's death his corpse would not be stolen, so Wadlow's grave was concreted.
+ Fedor Makhnov | 2.85 meters
It is impossible not to note another giant in world history. His height was not recorded in the Guinness Book, but, according to some information, it was Fyodor Makhnov who was tallest man on earth throughout history. According to unverified data, Fedor’s height was 285 centimeters. Fyodor's entire family was distinguished by unprecedented growth, although such giants as he were no longer seen. At one time he entered the circus arena, entertaining people, and when he got tired of traveling around the world, Fedor went home and got married. He died at the age of 34.
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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!
Fyodor Andreevich Makhnov was born on June 6 (18th according to the new style) June 1878 in the village of Kostyuki, Staroselsky volost, Vitebsk district. He came from an ancient family, whose ancestors moved to Russia from the south, from Syria. Makhnov's parents, as well as his two sisters, were of quite normal height; his grandfather was very tall, but, in any case, not a giant.
The boy was born very large, and his mother died during childbirth. Fedya was raised by his grandfather, who loved him very much. The amazing child’s talents showed up early. At the age of 8, the child could lift an adult; his father taught him to play the harmonica.
At the age of 12, he took the “bar” at 2 meters. He could sleep for more than 24 hours straight.
The other kids made fun of him because of his height. For this, he took off their hats and hung them on the ridge of the roof of a bathhouse or barn. Due to his son’s growth, Fyodor’s father had to rebuild the hut, raising the ceilings. As his height increased, so did the boy's strength. He could lift an adult man, independently pull a cart with hay, and helped in the construction of houses by lifting heavy 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.
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.
The enterprising German quickly realized what benefits could be derived from the boy’s growth and suggested that Fedya’s father let his son go to Germany to perform in the circus.
Poster of performances
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 language. 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.
In Berlin, Otto Bilinder settled the guest at his home 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.
His performances focused on power moves. The more than two and a half meter 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. A special success numbers were used when he, lying on his back, raised a 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, great growth also brought a lot of trouble to Fedor. It was difficult for him to travel, since all the transport, hotels, establishments catering counted only on people 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 building 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.
Fedor in Europe
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 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.
Fyodor with his wife Efrosinya
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 golden 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.
Fedor on a trip abroad
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, rebuilt the house according to his parameters. Otto Bilinder sent him furniture from Germany. I've decided to get married. It turned out to be a 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 their son Nikolai in 1904. In 1911-12, the Makhnovs had three more children. Thus, the Makhnovs had five children in total. None of them grew above two meters. They lived together in love and harmony. Fedor was kind person, loved his children, helped the peasants. And from Germany there were invitations to return to the circus again...
Together they traveled the world. Fyodor was at a reception with the German Chancellor, at an audience with the Pope, who liked Fyodor’s little daughter Maria so much that he took off a gold cross on a chain and gave it to the girl, at 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 them to sign a contract, according to which, after death, the giant’s corpse would be left for him to 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.
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 white bread with 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.
As anthropologists rightly noted, this resident of Belarus is “just legs.” His boot, barely reaching the giant’s knee, reached his chest normal person, and a 12-year-old boy could fit headlong into it. If Fedor 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.
A long nomadic life undermined the already not very good health Makhnova. 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 brought a lot of new things into Fyodor Makhnov’s economic life. 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. German doctors believed that Makhnov died from bone tuberculosis, which many giants suffered from. According to other sources, he caught a cold and got pneumonia. The possibility of poisoning by rivals on the wrestling mat cannot be ruled out either. According to his grandson, there is a version that Fyodor, having moved to the farm, did not give up performing in the circus. He often traveled to Germany with his family.
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 an error in the order for the coffin and fence, did the job counting on 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, 36 years old The Biggest Man in the World Height was 3 arshins 9 vershoks.”
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 first World War and the revolutionary events that followed prevented her from doing this.
In 1934, Makhnov’s remains were exhumed for scientific purposes and sent to the Minsk Medical Institute for study. 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.
There is also this version of how this happened: 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 during the exhumation, including a 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.
However, according to descendants, “ No one opened the grave, much less sold anything! The remains disappeared after the Second World War and were presumably taken to Germany because... Even before the revolution, the German Academy of Natural Sciences wanted to receive them.»
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 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.