For an hour now, having forgotten about everything, I have been rummaging through the book rubble at the stalls of Parisian second-hand book dealers. I saw Russian magazines for 1915. Flipped through it. The title of the article caught my eye: “The Death of a Russian Champion.” Its author, a certain M. Jouvet, talks about the Russian hero Grigory Koshcheev: one day he received an invitation to come to Moscow for a meeting of circus wrestlers. He was met in the capital, accommodated in a hotel, and then treated to lunch in a restaurant. At the table, Grigory saw his former rivals, Russian and foreign, whom he had once knocked down at tournaments.
Soon Koshcheev left for his homeland, to the village of Saltyki, Vyatka province, and a day after arriving home he died suddenly.
- What happened? Was he poisoned out of envy, out of a desire to take revenge on a successful rival? - I thought. - Then, it means that those who were with him in the restaurant are to blame for his death. And they were there...
I, worried, hastily leaf through the pages of the magazine... What a pity! The next page, where the names of the people who were with Gregory that day may have been named, has been torn out...
FIRST VICTORY
In 1904, a circus performer and wrestler Fyodor Basov came to the town of Slobodskoy and performed in front of the local public: blindfolded, he juggled two-pounds, broke chains, tore a deck of cards, bent copper coins with his fingers, and bent a metal beam on his powerful shoulders. Sloboda residents were delighted with the artist’s strength!
At the end of the speech, Fedor addressed the audience:
- Maybe someone would like to fight with me?
The hall fell silent. Fight? With such a strong man?..
And suddenly someone's bass rumbled:
- Let me try!
A huge bearded man in bast shoes and a canvas shirt entered the arena.
- Yes, it’s Grigory! Well, yes, he is our fellow countryman from Saltyki,” the audience started talking.
The fight began. So what do you think? The Saltykov man defeated the eminent young man. This was Gregory's first victory in the arena.
HIS STRENGTH WAS UNUSUAL!
He could, having tied up twelve two-pound pieces, put them on his shoulders and walk around the village. Once he put a forty-pound “woman” in the sleigh of a contractor who was deceiving and shortchanging the workers for driving piles. The contractor had to ask about two dozen men to pull the “piece of iron” off the sled.
Once on a holiday, Gregory saw a dozen guys fighting. He looked, looked at them, then grabbed them all with his long arms and drove it into the stream. Spoke with judgment:
- Hey you flies! Cool down.
I used to help my neighbors plow their plots and pull sleighs heavily loaded with firewood out of the snow. Because he helped everyone with his strength, Gregory was loved and respected in the village.
PATH TO GLORY
Grigory would live and live, work and work in native village, if not for the meeting with Fedor Basov. He began to persuade him to perform in front of the people, to “show off his strength,” to fight in the arena: they say, a great future and glory awaits you!
And Gregory agreed. Thus began his life as a circus performer and wrestler. Of course, fame, fame, and money did not immediately come to him. Grigory had to practice a lot, gaining experience in performing in the arena and studying the techniques of French wrestling. He traveled around the province, often fighting for pennies in cold, drafty rooms. I even thought: shouldn’t he go home from the circus to plow the land...
Meanwhile, a rumor was already spreading throughout Russia that an athlete of unprecedented strength, equal to Ivan Poddubny himself, had appeared on the arena! Grigory performed with great success at wrestling championships in Moscow, Odessa, and Kharkov. At the world championship in Paris in 1908, the French were amazed by the power of the Russian heroes Koshcheev and Poddubny: they had never seen anyone like them!
They returned home victorious.
"FROM AN OLD NOTEBOOK"
“I had to see a lot of original people during my time as director of wrestling, but still, the most interesting in terms of character I have to consider the giant Grisha Koshcheev,” writes in his memoirs “From the Old notebook» Entrepreneur I.V. Lebedev. - This man was of enormous strength, not inferior to foreign giants, but was much stronger than them and was distinguished by great endurance in the fight. He loved one thing in the world infinitely - his native village, he was drawn to the earth... A man who, over the course of three or four years, made himself almost European name, voluntarily left the arena for his village - again took up the plow and harrow, set up a nice house, took charge, got married, had a daughter...
IN MEMORY OF THE PEOPLE
The memory of Grisha Koshcheev and his legendary strength is alive among the people. People also remember his kindness, responsiveness, friendliness: he helped his neighbors with money, and with housework, and upon arrival he would meet a fellow villager - he would be the first to take off his hat, say hello, ask how life was... And he never boasted that he was the first in Moscow a fighter and that he is known abroad. That's the kind of person he was. That’s why they called him in Saltyki, in Kosino they respectfully called him Grigory Ilyich, they greeted him like a relative.
Your essay about Grigory Koshcheev I.V. Lebedev ends with these words: “Life played with this good person one of his evil and offensive jokes: as soon as bright days came for him, the threads of life were cut... The kind, always sad eyes of this black earth hero, who came out of the earth and went back into it, smile from the card.”
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 a sleigh in which a 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. The performances took place in the provinces, most often under open air, with great physical activity. 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. Best characteristic The words of the famous organizer of French wrestling championships, editor-in-chief of the sports magazine “Hercules” Ivan Vladimirovich Lebedev, serve as reference for the Russian hero-giant Grigory Kashcheev: “I had to see a lot of original people when I was the director of wrestling, but still, the most interesting in character I have to think of is a giant Grigory Kashcheev. In fact, it’s hard to imagine that a gentleman who 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. This same gentleman was almost a fathom away. height, 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 has not been thundering for a long time 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?
Grigory Kashcheev is one of the brightest representatives of the golden era of natural athletes. This good-natured giant, who never dreamed of a sports career, became the embodiment of the mysterious and unpredictable Russian character. He was predicted to have a brilliant future and worldwide fame, and he chose the modest share of the farmer. We will tell the undeservedly forgotten life story of the Vyatka hero in our article.
Grigory Kashcheev during childhood and adolescence.
The hard part of a truth teller
Grigory Kashcheev(real name Kosinsky) was born on November 12, 1873 in the village of Saltyki, Vyatka province. Future from a young age Vyatka hero surprised those around him with his incredible strength and gigantic growth, although there had never been such giants in his family. At the age of 12, he plowed the land along with adults, and by the age of 15 he was taller than all the men in the entire district. It is reliably known that by the age of 30, the weight of this giant reached 160 kilograms, with a height of 215 centimeters.
It is not surprising that the big man worked for three. For example, instead of a horse, he harnessed himself to a cart loaded with grain and calmly took it to the mill. Amusing the villagers, he threw a log onto his shoulders, to which several adults were clinging at once, and began to spin an impromptu carousel. One day, the manager of a distillery from neighboring Sosnovka witnessed this fun and invited the young strongman to work with him.
The movers only gasped in amazement when Grigory Kashcheev single-handedly he put a 30-pound (360 kilogram) barrel of alcohol on the scales, which four people had difficulty lifting. And the guy just smiled shyly, sincerely wondering what could be special about this. While entertaining his colleagues, he took a two-pound weight and began to be baptized with it non-stop. This amazing strongman could stop a speeding cart with three horses by grabbing the wheel with his hands.
Vyatka hero was distinguished by a complex, unyielding character. It was not in his spirit to pass by, turning a blind eye to injustice and lawlessness. One day, while walking along the river bank, he saw a crowd of guys fighting. Shaking his head disapprovingly, Grigory grabbed the heated youths with his huge hands, like bear paws, into a heap and said: “Come on, cool it down!” – drove everyone into the water.
One day Grigory Kashcheev I bet five rubles with one of the clerks that he would carry a bunch of weights with a total weight of 400 kilograms around the warehouse. Having shouldered this colossal load, the big man fulfilled his promise and demanded his well-deserved winnings. However, the losing debater refused to pay. Then the angry big man pulled the hat off the offender’s head, lifted the corner of the warehouse with his powerful shoulder, threw the headdress under the lower log and lowered the wall back down. And the next day the weights, chained together, were found hanging on a pole. To get them out, the pillar had to be cut down. The management did not appreciate the joke, and on the same day the offending loader was fired.
After this incident Grigory Kashcheev got a job as a builder at the Kotlas Railway. He worked properly, moving heavy rails and sleepers alone. However, he did not stay here for long, because he could not put up with the greed and arbitrariness of local businessmen. At the first calculation, it turned out that the contractor was openly robbing the workers, pocketing part of the money for himself. Deciding to teach the rogue a lesson, Grigory heaped a cast-iron blank for driving piles, weighing about half a ton, onto his sleigh and covered it with hay on top. Having finished his business, the contractor was about to leave, but discovered that the cart seemed to be rooted to the spot. He began to frantically whip the horse, but the poor animal only helplessly stomped on the spot.
- Come on, lay siege! Don't torture the animal! - suddenly someone’s loud voice thundered, and out of the crowd of laughing builders came Grigory Kashcheev. - First, settle everyone's minds, and then go.
The workers hummed with approval, supporting their comrade. Having assessed the dimensions people's defender, the contractor wisely decided not to argue and paid everything to the last penny. It took 20 people to remove the heavy load from the sled. Returning to the office, the dishonest employee immediately complained about Kashcheev. And although all the builders stood up in defense of Gregory, the management did not keep the obstinate worker, even if he worked for five people.
Vyatka hero again he had to return to the distillery, where he was assigned to transport barrels of alcohol to the regional center of Slobodskaya. They didn’t hire a stern truth-teller for any other job.
Duel with Fedor Besov.
Start of a sports career
The life of a village strongman changed dramatically after meeting a professional athlete Fedor Besov . In November 1905, the famous strongman, along with his booth, arrived in Slobodskaya. For a tiny provincial town, this was a huge event, and therefore the stands were filled to capacity. Besov demonstrated real miracles of strength to the provincial public: he juggled heavy weights, broke chains with his bare hands and card decks, broke horseshoes, bent coins with his fingers, hammered nails into a board with his fist, and a thick steel beam was bent on his back. The audience applauded enthusiastically, enjoying a previously unprecedented spectacle. However, everyone was looking forward to the main performance.
At the end of his performance, the strongman walked to the center of the arena and defiantly shook the chervonets clutched in his hand. According to a long-established circus tradition, he announced that he would give this money to the one who defeats him in a fair fight. In the deathly silence that reigned, a bass voice from the gallery thundered: “I’ll try!”
Fight Vyatka hero meeting with a visiting artist was not an ordinary coincidence, as it might seem. The glory of remarkable strength Grigory Kashcheev has long spread throughout the province. One day, under an imaginary pretext, the police officer (chief of the local police) summoned him and offered to earn extra money. He explained that a famous strongman would soon come to the city, who needed to be laid down on his shoulder blades. The amount offered for defeating Fedor Besov, was more than tempting. Grigory didn’t earn that much in a year, and therefore agreed without further hesitation.
He was familiar with the rules of belt wrestling only in theory, but did not have time to gain the necessary experience. Gregory met the only worthy opponent only once. While working on the railroad, he heard from his comrades about a local strongman Pantelee Zhuikove. Zhuikov indeed possessed considerable strength, and therefore Grigory Kashcheev could not resist the temptation to test himself in a fight with an equal opponent. Eyewitnesses claimed that the fight between the two the strongest people in the area lasted several hours, and until last moment it was impossible to predict who would prevail. Panteleimon had age and experience on his side, but Gregory turned out to be more resilient and stubborn. In the end, the young strongman knocked his opponent to the ground and pressed him from above, forcing him to admit defeat.
But this time Vyatka hero Up against an even more formidable opponent - strong, technical, experienced in the intricacies of professional wrestling. However Fedor Besov I very soon realized that this village bumpkin in worn-out bast shoes and a homespun shirt was far from being so simple. He had never encountered a person of such strength before. No sophisticated techniques and tricks that had been worked out over the years worked. You might as well try to knock down a mountain.
Both opponents were already pretty tired, their clothes were soaked through with sweat, but neither one nor the other was going to give in. Once the judges had to stop the fight - the circus athlete’s strong leather belt broke, unable to withstand the monstrous load. In the end, Gregory managed to break the resistance of his unyielding opponent. Seizing the moment, he tore Besov off the ground, lifted him above his head and slammed him with his back to the arena. To be sure, he also fell on top, releasing his defeated opponent only after hearing the cherished: “I give up.” The spectators greeted their fellow countryman's victory with an enthusiastic roar.
Reward to the giant hero paid in in full, however, the defeated artist did not regret the lost money at all. He knew that with such a strongman as Kashcheev, he would earn hundreds of times more. All that remains is to persuade Vyatka hero go with him. This task turned out to be difficult. Gregory could not leave his native land, to which he was attached with all his soul. But Besov was very persistent and persuasive, outlining tempting prospects for the provincial strongman, which he refused. The good-natured hero, who always dreamed of seeing the world in his soul, agreed. So duel with Fedor Besov served the beginning of a sports career new circus star, with the name Grigory Kashcheev.
Circus activities
.
Getting to know Ivan Zaikin
Circus activities became for Grigory Kashcheev the road to glory, but at the same time, a real test of strength. Constant moving from place to place, exhausting, working on stage for 10-12 hours a day and far from best conditions content - all this was in no way combined with the bright prospects that he was promised. In addition, circus performers were not greeted with enthusiastic applause everywhere.
A curious incident happened to the troupe Fedora Besova on tour in a provincial town. After the performance, a crowd of ordinary people escorted the artists to the outskirts of the city, advising them to immediately leave and never appear in these parts again. As it turned out, the superstitious townspeople seriously took Kashcheev for a werewolf, and Besov himself, with his a telling surname, for Satan's minion. The fact is that entrepreneurs often presented Gregory as a “bear man,” which, however, was not difficult to believe. Impressive dimensions and truly superhuman strength " Vyatka hero", coupled with long black hair and a thick beard, truly created an intimidating image.
In 1906, while on tour in Kazan, a lucky chance brought our hero together with a famous Russian wrestler, the future world champion in weightlifting. The famous “King of Iron,” himself coming from a peasant family, decided that such a nugget had no place in a cheap booth. He became for Vyatka hero friend and mentor. Under his wise leadership Grigory Kashcheev began to train intensively and comprehend the intricacies of modern wrestling.
In 1908 our hero, together with the strongest fighters Russian Empire, Ivan Poddubny and, went to Paris for the World Championships in French wrestling. At this tournament, he lost only to his titled compatriots, eventually taking one of the prizes and becoming famous throughout the world.
The duel with Kashcheev lasted about six hours. The legendary "Champion of Champions" simply did not know how to cope with this mighty hero-giant, but in the end, the experience and skill of Ivan Maksimovich won, who managed to lay down his powerful opponent on his shoulder blades.
World celebrity
.
Last years of life
Grigory Kashcheev
To St. Petersburg Grigory Kashcheev back already world celebrity. His photos were published by the largest newspapers and magazines, everyone considered it an honor to meet him influential person in the city. However, the athlete himself became gloomier and more thoughtful every day. The brilliance of fame was alien to him, and all he really dreamed of was returning to his native land and living a quiet life. Kashcheev told his friends more than once that he was ready to give up everything and continue plowing the land. So he did.
In 1911 giant hero arrived in Vyatka, where he held several farewell performances and wrestling matches, after which he finally moved to his native village. Here the former athlete built a house with his own hands and began farming. Soon he married and became the father of two wonderful children.
In the spring of 1914, fellow athletes visited Gregory and tried to persuade him to return, but he refused, citing the fact that he could not leave his family. However, the arrival of friends stirred the soul of the former athlete, forcing him to remember the days of past glory. He could not find a place for himself and that same night he suddenly fell ill. The paramedic who arrived in the morning found only his lifeless body. About death Grigory Kashcheev There were a lot of rumors. It was rumored that one of his former rivals poisoned him to take revenge, but an autopsy showed that the strongman died of a broken heart.
So, at the age of 41, the life of one of the strongest people of a bygone era was absurdly and tragically cut short. Buried Vyatka hero in his native village, today called Kosa. Unfortunately, the grave of the famous athlete has not survived to this day, but his name continues to live in the memory of descendants.
After the death of Grigory Ilyich in the St. Petersburg magazine “ Hercules"an obituary was published. Its author, the famous Russian coach, called Vyatka hero one of the most amazing people, whom he had ever met. Possessing the richest natural inclinations, he could have become an invincible champion and gained great glory, but he chose to return to peasant life. This, according to Lebedev, is precisely the paradoxical phenomenon of the amazing Russian character.
People like Grigory Kashcheev– these are real unique creatures that are born once every hundred years. However, everyone can overcome their own imperfections, despite stubborn genetics. For natural growth muscle mass and adaptation of the body to heavy physical activity, we can recommend a nutritional supplement " " This unique vitamin and mineral complex, created on the basis of natural plant components and beekeeping products, contains a rich set of essential substances necessary for every athlete.
I
This tale is not a fairy tale, it’s reality,
About the fact that in one thousand nine hundred and eight,
The hero arrived in the city of Vyatka,
So that with any daring in a duel,
Check if there is one that will overpower.
And on this day everything was decided by fate!
After all, whoever can overcome Besov lives there.
The fight took place in the circus, for courage, in front of the crowd,
There Fedor Besov breaks the chains!
Then he easily breaks the horseshoes.
The audience rejoices, the heart skips a beat!
How menacing he is and it scares everyone.
Suddenly this fighter expounds to the people -
“Who can compete with me?”
For the prize, which is twenty-five rubles,
In a fight, I myself can easily defeat anyone!
But in the circus there is no such thing as chaos.
In the ensuing silence they said: “Yes!”
Squeezing through the crowd, the stern man
He said: “I will fight for Vyatka here!”
There was noise and whistling, and trembling in the heart.
Koshcheev slowly ascends to the platform.
And he looks around at the Vyatka Circus.
With a smile, he approaches the fighter from St. Petersburg,
And in a heated fight, both walk.
Everyone sees that the battle is coming to an end,
All the insolence leaves Besov,
A short moment and he lies there, the weight of the circus is noisy with joy!
The trumpeter blows the trumpet for Koscheev! Vivat! It's ringing under the dome!
II
The wrestler Kraevsky was no longer around at that time.
His student was Ivan Lebedev.
Who began to take his students around the world,
And for the first time the prize was given to others.
After the fight, the wrestlers hugged each other at that hour,
And on the heavy lists we fraternized!
Everyone in the hall gasped, surprised at this!
And Fyodor and Grisha went backstage.
Ivan Koscheeva congratulates you on your victory,
Then he convinces you to join your team.
After which, Grigory begins another life.
For St. Petersburg, he defeats many in the arenas.
At full gallop, he has incredible strength,
In a team of three horses, they grab the wheel.
This causes wild horror for foreigners,
When she freezes at that very second!
Koshcheev lifts a forty-pound deck,
And it plays like a feather, with such weight!
Jokingly, he invites those who want to fight with themselves.
There were no equals, neither in Russia nor in Europe,
With a hero like him you won’t be lost!
You will go around the whole world with Russian glory!
Gregory values take-off and fun,
Native land and fields and grass!
And those who thought otherwise, you are wrong!
But it’s still a sin to condemn you for these morals!
Three more years passed and at the peak of fame,
Suddenly the daring fighter stopped performing!
Like a roar among the mountains, running lava,
He left for his native land, putting in a lot of work!
Those who live by labor do not need rewards!
They are already happy with their native spaces.
They have the Russian spirit and are not afraid of obstacles,
And there will be such views on life in the future!
Ilya Tsyplyaev
https://vk.com/public64626019?w=wall-64626019_1765
Grigory Ilyich Kosinsky (pseudonym Kashcheev 11/12/1873 - 05/25/1914), wrestler
, strongman from the plow.
Grigory Kashcheev Not much is known about the life and sports career of Grigory Kosinsky, who performed under the stage name “Grishka Kashcheev”. In this article we will try to put together the fragmentary information that we know.
Grigory Kashcheev was born on November 12, 1873 in the village of Saltyki, Vyatka province, in the family of an ordinary peasant. The family was large, but all the children, except Grisha, were of normal height and strength. Gregory, at the age of 12, was equal in strength to the strongest Saltyk men. This is no wonder - by the age of 20, Kashcheev was a fathom tall (212 centimeters) and weighed 10 pounds (160 kilograms). Grigory made his own clothes and shoes - huge bast shoes in summer and felt boots in winter. It took Kashcheev 10 pounds of wool to felt felt boots, while other men had enough for felt boots and 5 pounds. The father could not get enough of the strength and strength of his son: " Good helper“It’s growing!” he used to tell his friends with undisguised pride.
Testing his strength, Grigory Kashcheev performed many strength exercises, which could not fulfill the most strong men their villages. So, he easily lifted a log above himself, on the ends of which several people were hanging and rotated along with this projectile, thereby repeating the famous “living carousel” of his future teacher, the King of Iron and Captain of the Air, Ivan Zaikin. Fellow villagers recalled the incident when Grishka Kosinsky threw a horse over the fence, which was stuck between the pickets of the fence, trying to crawl to the other side. Another time, Kosinsky pulled a cow out of a ravine by the horns, but miscalculated his efforts and twisted her neck, almost tearing her head off. To test his strength, as a teenager Grigory Kashcheev dragged a cart loaded with sacks of grain. The weight of such a cart reached a little over 400 kilograms. In addition to monstrous physical strength, Kashcheev also had amazing endurance - he plowed in the field from morning until evening, and after a hard day of work he went to a party in a neighboring village. The presence of the miracle hero disciplined the guys from the neighboring village, and Grishka Kashcheev served as a kind of guarantor of order at village parties.
To earn extra money, Grigory Kashcheev gets a job as a loader at a distillery.
Grigory Kashcheev plant in the neighboring village of Sosnovka. Three or four men moved huge barrels of alcohol, dragging them around the territory of the plant. Grisha carried such barrels alone, causing justified admiration from his colleagues in the workshop. To consolidate his success in developing muscular strength, he could cross himself twenty times with a two-pound weight. Once, as a bet, he walked around the warehouse, carrying 12 two-pound weights and one one-pound weight - a total of 208 kilograms. When leaving this place of work because of a quarrel with the storekeeper, he tied all the weights that were in the warehouse to a beam under the ceiling. The next day, all work stopped - the men had to spend several hours removing the multi-central “garland”.
The next place of work of Grigory Kosinsky-Kashcheev was the railway depot in
neighboring Zuevka. However, he found the boss to be a rogue and every time he tried to shortchange the giant. Having lost patience, one day Kashcheev put a 40-pound piece of rail into his boss’s cart. He was perplexed for a long time - why couldn’t the horse move?
In 1905, Gregory was lucky enough to fight the famous circus strongman Fyodor Besov. He offered 25 rubles to anyone who could defeat him in a fair wrestling match. Kashcheev responded to his call and managed to achieve a draw in the first fight, and in the second he effectively smashed Besov with his shovels on the floor, winning the coveted prize.
Ivan Zaikin and Grigory Kashcheev The circus performer, seeing extraordinary potential in Kashcheev, rushed to persuade him to perform in the arena and succeeded - the next day Grigory Kashcheev gave his horse to his fellow villagers and began his wrestling career. For a whole year, Grigory performed with Besov, and in 1906, fate brought him together with Ivan Zaikin, an intelligent and strong wrestler who was able to unleash Kashcheev’s full potential. Months of training were not in vain - already in 1907, Grigory Kashcheev became the brightest wrestler in the Russian Empire, winning several prestigious awards, and in 1908 he took a prize at the World Championships in Paris, losing only to his teacher Ivan Zaikin and the Champion of Champions Ivan Poddubny. The fight with Poddubny lasted more than six hours, and only vast experience helped Poddubny defeat the Vyatka giant.
Upon his return to Moscow, Kashcheev received a triumphant reception; he was inundated with offers to perform in the best circuses cities. However, tired of the intrigues and envy of his rivals, Kashcheev decided to return to native land, and became a landowner, as he remained until his death in 1914.
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. 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. 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 said 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 the prize. 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?
Uncle Vanya
Parade, hello! - Whistle. - Music, march!.. In the arena in patent leather boots on plump short legs, in a Russian jacket of the finest cloth, a Russian cap with a patent leather visor, from under which intelligent eyes look, stands a man of average height, with the broadest shoulders. He's full Russian face with an upturned nose and a small mustache above plump lip. In his hand he holds a golden whistle on a thin gold chain. This is the famous I, V. Lebedev, nicknamed Uncle Vanya, the referee and organizer of the first professional wrestling championships in Russia, whose name is as popular as the names of the Durovs, Poddubny, Bim-Bom...
While still a student, I. V. Lebedev became interested in athletics and wrestling. At that time he was a member of the St. Petersburg circle of Doctor Kraevsky - the “father of Russian athletics”, in whose “office” many wonderful Russian heroes were born...
Modern “gladiators” enter the arena in a line to the sounds of the “March of the Gladiators”. The music doesn’t seem to be playing for them: everyone walks with their own gait, developed over the years, not at all in the rhythm of the march. The wrestlers step heavily onto the mat, as if they were not alive, but made of iron.
Having walked around the arena, the “champions” stop, forming a closed circle; everyone takes their own “plastic” pose. Spectators already know each wrestler, his biography, fighting style, muscle size. The orchestra freezes.
This championship is organized by me, - powerful voice Uncle Vanya is heard in the most remote corners of the gallery - to the world championship! The following wrestlers arrived and signed up. French wrestling technician...
Uncle Vanya organized the first wrestling championship in Russia in 1904 at the Ciniselli Circus. The success was colossal, and so was the material income. But Ciniselli was not one of those who shared income, and soon Uncle Vanya broke up with him. He persuaded millionaire Eliseev to finance wrestling championships, in return for which he provided his abilities and experience. The most popular champions were drawn from abroad. Multi-colored posters appeared on billboards and fences in St. Petersburg - portraits of medal-laden wrestlers with incredible muscles. The newspapers were full of sensational “information” about the fighters. Interest in the championship was fueled by the fact that Ivan Poddubny participated in it. He has just returned from Paris, where he had a scandal during a world championship meeting with Raoul Boucher, a contender for first place along with Poddubny. Poddubny in Paris, as the wrestlers say, was “combined.” He did not receive a single defeat, but did not receive a prize. Raoul Boucher was also invited to St. Petersburg, and his meeting with Poddubny promised to be sensational, since the Russian hero decided to take revenge.
It is difficult now to imagine what passions flared up around the championships in those years. All levels of society were fond of circus wrestling. Every evening Uncle Vanya had to answer from the arena many questions that the audience asked from the seats: “How old is Lurikh? How much does Chambers Zipps weigh? Is Aberg married? What is Zbyszko's breast size? Where is Zaikin?
Uncle Vanya answered with lightning speed. It was a living encyclopedia in the field of wrestling and sports. True, his answers were not always accurate, but this was not required...
Cyclops Benkovsky weighs seven pounds and forty pounds! Drinks three samovars of tea! Alex Aberg is a confirmed bachelor. Zbyshko-Tsyganevich's chest volume is 131 centimeters! Ivan Zaikin is now boarding the train at Tyumen station to leave for St. Petersburg!..
Uncle Venya, who spoke several languages, was, without a doubt, an educated man and an excellent businessman. His friends were Kuprin, Chaliapin, artists Myasoedov and Serov. The pages of his magazine “Hercules” were decorated with drawings by famous illustrators; Myasoedov drew the cover for it. Caricatures of Uncle Vanya could be seen in all newspapers and magazines of that time.
Uncle Vanya had remarkable talent as a director, and he had a lot of imagination. He invented the “roles” of wrestlers - “lovers”, “animals”, “comedians”. At the performance, he knew how to drive the audience into a frenzy. The most respectable bourgeois beat their fists on the barrier of the boxes and shouted to the whole circus: “Wrong!” Their prim, diamond-studded wives did not behave better than husbands. A wrestler who placed his opponent incorrectly would have apples and sometimes even heavier objects thrown from the gallery. It happened that the police had to restore order in the auditorium. The wrestlers who played the roles of “villains” were often afraid to appear on the street.
Uncle Vanya came up with spectacular surnames for new wrestlers, handed out championship titles without any embarrassment, and it happened that one championship brought together a dozen and a half “world champions.” He began to demonstrate all kinds of competitions and power attractions, and came up with the first wrestling - “black” - mask, which became an indispensable character of any championship. He found amateurs in every city who trained him, wrote books on athletics and wrestling, and published the Hercules magazine, which advertised his champions. He raised interest in the championships to extraordinary heights, and he, in the end, killed this interest, bringing his directorial tricks to the point of absurdity, which the public no longer believed in.
Uncle Vanya liked to say: “As long as there are fools, there will be fighting in the circus. There are enough fools for my lifetime." It was a pathetic “philosophy,” but at the circus box office there were still signs that read “sold out.” The result of his vigorous activity were two private apartment buildings in St. Petersburg, his own rather voluminous magazine and his own “business” with multi-thousand turnover.
When all the wrestlers in St. Petersburg had already wrestled several times, Uncle Vanya found a little Japanese somewhere and made him into another bait for the audience (this was after the Russian-Japanese War). Announcements appeared on huge posters: “The famous Japanese jiu-jitsu wrestling specialist Sarakiki-Kutsukuma has called all the participants in the championship and is betting 1000 rubles against any wrestler!” Sarakiki was said to have a phenomenal arm grip and his grips were almost lethal for wrestlers.
Circus Petersburg became agitated. Uncle Vanya described in the newspapers how the Japanese trains, how he breaks thick sticks with a blow of his palm, tears three decks of cards and compresses the strongest springs. Spectators flocked to watch the new miracle. Sarakiki really defeated everyone. As soon as he grabbed the opponent’s wrists, he began to squirm, struggle, and eventually lay on his shoulder blades without performing a single move. They were afraid to say hello to the Japanese. All the newspapers started talking about him.
The St. Petersburg Athletic Society was patronized by Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich. Interested, he suggested to Uncle Vanya that he arrange a meeting between the Japanese and one of the strongest amateur wrestlers at the Athletic Club. Many years later, Uncle Vanya told the author of these lines that he found the Japanese in some St. Petersburg laundry. He had no idea about jiu-jitsu or French wrestling. The trick with a strong grip was invented by Uncle Vanya himself, so the prince’s proposal excited him. On the day of the fight, when the spectators - athletes, amateur athletes and other club members - had already gathered, Uncle Venya began to process Sarakiki’s opponent. He felt terribly sorry for the amateur. The Japanese, he said, was furious and would crush the amateur into powder. The Japanese's pride is monstrous, and no matter how much Uncle Vanya tries to persuade him not to cripple the amateur, he does not agree. The lover's soul gradually sank into his heels; he was no longer glad that he got involved in this story. He stepped onto the carpet as if onto a scaffold. The Japanese, in turn, figured out what to do if an amateur attacked him. Uncle Vanya recommended that he pretend to be crazy... As soon as the Japanese grabbed his partner’s hands and squeezed them a little, the lover turned green with fear and fell on his shoulder blades. They poured water over him, and Uncle Vanya showed everyone some non-existent bruises and assured that the lover miraculously did not remain crippled for life. This absolutely fantastic incident strengthened the popularity of the Japanese; he quit the laundry and began to travel with the championship, gaining after some time the fame of a phenomenal wrestler.
In approximately the same way, Uncle Vanya made fun of one of the most famous wrestlers - world champion Lurich. A winner of many championships, Lurich was a truly magnificent, strong and technical wrestler. Deciding to play a prank on his prime minister, Uncle Vanya told him that one amateur would like to fight him. Club members say, a large amount against the champion. They claim that Lurich will not put it down.
Lurich laughed it off for a long time, but finally got angry and agreed to meet with the amateur. Uncle Vanya immediately spoke about this both in the championship and in the club and immediately began to treat Lurikh from the other side. He praised the amateur terribly. He insisted that he had never met such a phenomenon, that this was a person terrible power, despite its low weight, and most importantly, that it is an unusually cunning and intelligent opponent, the inventor of some completely new techniques that Uncle Vanya allegedly never saw. It was already too late for Lurich to refuse. Everyone heard that the challenge was accepted, and the prestige of the champion did not allow Lurich to back down.
The fight took place. Lurikh's opponent was some funny student, a very average amateur. Uncle Vanya taught him how to behave during a fight. Such a fight athletes l viewers have never seen before. The student took some incredible poses and downright hypnotized the champion. Lurich, confused, was afraid of falling for the “terrible” trick that Uncle Vanya had warned him about. Twenty minutes of struggle had elapsed, - Lurich did not put down the amateur, because he did not try to do so. Later, Uncle Vanya confessed everything to Lurikh, and his anger was indescribable. He broke up with Uncle Vanya and left the championship along with his brother Aberg. They opened their own “business”. Lurich's enormous popularity was deserved, although, of course, his success also depended on the fact that he was almost always the owner of the championship in which he fought. At that time there were a lot of fighters of Lurich’s class.
Soon the name of Uncle Vanya became popular in the provinces, since there was no circus where his championship or a branch of his championship fought. The rest of the referees tried to imitate him in everything, even in appearance. For many years adopted his directorial tricks until auditorium the first cry was not heard; “Bench!”
The years 1914-1917 were the “swan song” of circus championships, although it was at this time that they reaped the richest harvest.
Hungarian wrestler Famous Russian wrestler
Sandor Szabo Alex Aberg
Despite the behind-the-scenes “combinations,” a good circus championship was a significant event from a sporting point of view. Wrestlers in those days trained a lot. They knew the technique of wrestling and working with weights well. These were truly strong people.
Sports in Russia were just emerging at that time, and there were only a few athletes, especially in the provinces. Beginning amateurs had no one to learn from, no one to follow as an example, except circus athletes and wrestlers. Young people went to the circus to watch not only “animals” and “comedians,” but also masters of sports with magnificent figures that impressed them. And the fight was sometimes not carried out according to the owner’s schedule. Professional wrestlers valued their name very much: his material well-being depended on the wrestler’s reputation. The result of the struggle was often predetermined by the fact that, traveling from city to city, the fighters fought with each other many times and knew well who would win.
Athletes know how much more visually interesting a masterful demonstration of wrestling technique is than serious wrestling. For example, in 1914 in Kiev, an amateur phenomenon, Black Sea Fleet diver Danil Posunko challenged the famous Zbyshko-Tsyganevich to a competition. The opponents fought in a standing position for two hours, without performing a single move and without ever being on the ground. From a sporting point of view, it was an outstanding amateur triumph, but the spectators watching the match were clearly bored. But when, say, Lurich met with Aberg or Spool, or Clemens Buhl fought with Schultz, it was a spectacle of virtuoso technique, dexterity and beauty.
Professional wrestling was an agitator for beauty, agility, and strength. Amateurs began to “pump up their muscles” and became seriously interested in athletics and wrestling. They entered the circus for wrestling training (and the training was always interesting and athletic!), and invited wrestlers to their clubs.
And how many young athletes were created by the same Uncle Vanya! He was an excellent teacher and coach and loved young people very much. His books on athletics have not been lost to this day. educational value, especially if you take into account that we are often motivated by “results”, and the desire to have a beautiful, athletic figure is inherent in few people.
Professional wrestlers played positive role in the development of youth health. Who didn’t want to be like K. Buhl, Gakkenshmidt, Eliseev, Morro-Dmitrizv, Moor-Znamznsky, Krylov, Stepanov, Kerlo-Milano, Aberg, Schwarzer, Borichenko, Spul! What remarkable muscles many wrestlers and athletes possessed! Some really looked like marble come to life, classical sculptures. And what power MANY athletes demonstrated in the circus! This was also excellent propaganda. It would not be harmful for modern amateur athletes to organize not only sports competitions, but also evenings to demonstrate their skills.
It happened that for some reason a circus wrestler left the arena and opened his own school. These schools also played a positive role. Uncle Vanya, whose slogan was: “In healthy body- healthy spirit,” always attended sports clubs in the cities where he toured, and worked with young people for free. Without unnecessary words he took off his famous undershirt and took on the “doubles”, with which he worked superbly: he squeezed in different ways, juggled, showed difficult tricks with them. His specialty was “twisting”: he “twisted” about six pounds! He immediately switched to the wrestling mat and did not keep any “secrets.” He offered to feel his biceps, and he had them like they were made of steel. He truly loved the sport, loved its followers and knew how to captivate anyone.
Uncle Vanya's last major championship was the championship at the Second State Circus in Moscow in 1922 with the participation of the “champion of champions” Ivan Maksimovich Poddubny. It included only Russian wrestlers, mainly Muscovites - Nikolai Bashkirov, Pefnutyev, Titov, Mironov, Kapturov, Hadji Murat. The appearance of I. M. Poddubny in the parade was celebrated with special pomp. He came out after the presentation of the entire championship; the wrestlers met him, standing in two ranks, like a uniform.
Poddubny’s figure cannot be assessed from photographs: this could only be done when he appeared among the wrestlers. When Poddubny entered the parade, no matter what its composition, all the wrestlers seemed to become thinner and smaller. Poddubny’s shoulder width was phenomenal. And his wonderful chest with a huge amount of plastic muscles! His iron muscles are not visible in the photographs. You had to look at Poddubny at the moment of tension: under the thin skin, the muscles, amazing in relief, came to life.
The manner in which he fought was an accurate reflection of his character. Poddubny never “attacked the enemy”, but, turning after a handshake, took his famous “stance”, slightly raising one hand higher than the other, and waited. At the beginning of the fight, he always looked almost sleepy, only watchful eyes gleamed from under his eyebrows. Everything about him seemed relaxed - and it was. Poddubny, like no one else, knew how to relax, and at the same time he had a quick reaction like no one else. If in his manner of movement he resembled a bear, then in his instant reaction he resembled a tiger. He could calmly take the enemy by the hands, then phlegmatically put his hands on his neck, and... suddenly the enemy dived nose-first into the carpet! This is one of Poddubny’s famous jerks. Poddubny’s ability to get into a technique is amazing. He knew a lot of deceptive pressures and feints. This is nothing new in wrestling, but Poddubny had his own ways of distracting the enemy.
The championship in Moscow did not last long, and Uncle Vanya moved to the provinces. There were no longer any real partners for Poddubny; Essentially, he did not fight, but tried, as it were, not to crush anyone by accident. He needed different opponents, although some young wrestlers called him “old man” behind his back.
Poddubny soon gave one of them good lesson. In 1924, the next championship was held in the Kharkov Circus. Poddubny was invited to raise fees. He has arrived. The premier of the championship was the wonderful Georgian wrestler Kvariani. He was a handsome man with a magnificent figure - a strong, resilient and dexterous athlete. When it was the turn to fight Poddubny, Kvariani did not agree with Poddubny’s proposal: fight for 18 minutes, and Kvariani had to lie down. Lie down? The Prime Minister? Like an old man? Oh no!
“Well, son, let’s go to the drill,” said Poddubny peacefully. “Drill,” in wrestling terminology, means “seriously.” Kvariani arrogantly, “like an eagle,” flew at Poddubny. He was really confident in himself, but he faced a kind of stone mountain. After half a minute, he realized what the famous “old man” was and tried to avoid defeat. Poddubny was no longer a clumsy bear. Once! Two! Three! Like an inexperienced boy, he knocked Kveriani off his feet, without even trying to put him down. The prime minister began to run away from Poddubny by the carpet, grabbed the barrier... Kvarianya was as agile as a cat, but only the cat fell into the paws of the tiger. After three or four minutes, “the old men scooped up the squirming prime minister, shook him and with a sharp movement threw him like a sack to the ground. Kzarieni was carried away from the arena unconscious. It was, of course, cruel, but in the spirit of the unwritten laws of professional wrestling. Poddubny defended his name and, at 53 years old, still did not want to become an old man. A year later, at the age of 54, he successfully defended his name and the honor of his Motherland in America!
Hiding behind the brands of various organizations, Uncle Vanya managed to organize championships until the early forties. He also invited them to circuses, of which he was listed as the “head of the artistic department.” During this period, Uncle Vanya showed himself in a new capacity:
he began to act as a clown entertainer!
Uncle Vanya (I.V. Lebedev) in 1911
I don’t know if I have ever seen a more original, cheerful and witty entertainer than him. Uncle Vanya himself wrote poetry for his conference and did it with extraordinary speed. The conference was always satirical.
Spectators went not to watch the program, but to watch Uncle Vanya. He talked to the audience, “rooted” for the artists, and made funny remarks. It was a "carpet", although not the kind we are used to in the circus. Uncle Vanya even did... cascades! He suddenly fell awkwardly (and most importantly, it was so rare and unexpected) that if he had done even a double somersault instead, it would hardly have made a greater impression.