Childhood and youth
Ivan Poddubny was born on October 9, 1871. His family lived in Ukraine, in the village of Krasenivka, Poltava province. Today this is the Cherkasy region, where even in those days peasants were engaged in arable farming. The future champion spent his childhood and youth in his native places, where he lived until he was 21 years old. It was a large family, Ivan was the eldest. But besides him there were six more children: three brothers and three sisters. Both parents and children were physically very strong and healthy. Maxim Ivanovich, the father of the family, was a healthy man and possessed enormous physical strength. A real hero, who was compared to Hercules.
Ivan Poddubny: biography, family
The eldest son, Vanya, grew up just as strong. He was still 15 years old, but he had already taken part in belt wrestling and was not afraid to fight his father. When he turned 22, he left home and worked in Sevastopol as a loader at the port. After working for two years, Poddubny moved to Feodosia. Here he got a job as a worker in. During this period of his life, Ivan begins to seriously engage in physical exercise. In the morning he runs and does exercises. He constantly works out with dumbbells and lifts weights.
The young years of Ivan Poddubny’s life are closely connected with work in the circus. In 1896, Beskorovainy’s circus came to Feodosia on tour. Ivan attended one performance and went there every evening after that. He was especially interested in the performance in which athletes performed various tricks: lifting weights and barbells, breaking horseshoes, bending thick metal rods. When at the end of the performance the athletes offered those who wanted to repeat their tricks for a reward, Ivan Poddubny decided to test himself and entered the arena. The first attempt was unsuccessful. But Ivan Poddubny is a belt wrestler, and he managed to defeat almost all his opponents. There was only one thing he couldn’t master – the huge giant Peter Yankovsky.
After such a performance, an invitation was received to work as an athlete in the circus. Since then, a passion for circus art has come. The Truzzi Circus operated in Sevastopol, where Poddubny went in 1897. He was recruited into a wrestling troupe led by Georg Lurich. After some period of time - work at Nikitin's circus. And already in 1903, serious training in French wrestling began. From that time on, the life of Ivan Poddubny changed: he became the winner of all the championships that were held in the country.
Poddubny Ivan Maksimovich
Russian wrestler. Athlete and circus performer. Honored Artist of Russia. One of the most outstanding professional wrestlers in the world. Repeatedly won “world championships” in classical wrestling among professionals. In forty years of performances, he has not lost a single competition.
Ivan Poddubny was born on October 8, 1871 in the village of Bogodukhovka, Ukraine. The boy grew up in an ordinary peasant family. The simplicity of life and hard physical work, to which he was accustomed from childhood, gave rise to a rare tenacity in the teenager’s character. In 1893 he left for Sevastopol, where he got a job as a loader at the port, and then moved to Feodosia.
Poddubny first entered the arena in 1896 in the Beskaravainy circus, which came to the city on tour. I watched the athletes' performances with admiration. At the end of the performance, those who wished were invited to repeat any trick, and Ivan surpassed the athletes in belt wrestling. After this, the loader was offered to work in a circus. That's when his wrestling career began. Sport became the core of his life. Ivan Maksimovich was an intelligent wrestler, at the same time artistic, and the public liked him: tall, beautifully built, with courageous facial features. By 1903, he was already an experienced belt wrestler, known to Odessa and Kyiv, Tbilisi and Kazan.
In 1903, Ivan received an invitation from the chairman of the St. Petersburg Athletic Society, Count Alexandre Ribopierre, to take part in the Paris World Championships. But Poddubny was just mastering French wrestling. He was given the best coach, Eugene de Paris, and three months to prepare, which turned out to be very intense. At the championship in Paris, among the participants were world-famous wrestlers, the unknown “Russian bear” won eleven bouts, but lost to the Frenchman Raoul de Boucher. Although the latter cheated, the judges still awarded him the victory, after which the Russian athlete was in a shocked state for a long time. This lesson forever made him an implacable enemy of “dirty sports.” Then the competitions followed one after another.
At the main international championship in Paris in 1905, Poddubny took revenge, winning a triumphant victory and becoming world champion. He had no equal in the next three years. Poddubny was invited to all major competitions. The athlete toured a lot and won everywhere. Ivan was a legend; in the press he was called “Champion of Champions.” But, spending a lot of time traveling, Ivan Maksimovich dreamed of his home and family.
In 1910, Poddubny left sports, married actress Antonina Kvitko-Fomenko and returned to Krasenovka with her. There he bought a large plot of land and built an estate. However, he turned out to be a bad landowner: after a couple of years, Poddubny went bankrupt and in 1913 he again stepped onto the wrestling mat. People started talking about him again with admiration. Even during the years of the civil war, the Russian wrestler continued to perform.
In the early 1920s, Poddubny decided to go on tour in Germany and the USA. Brilliantly holding meetings with famous wrestlers, he drew full houses and was even proclaimed “America's champion.” Upon his return to Russia in 1927, where he was greeted as a hero, Poddubny moved to the city of Yeisk on the shores of the Azov Sea, where he bought a small house.
During the war years, he lived in German-occupied territory in the city of Yeysk, a small resort town on the shores of the Azov Sea. He refused to go to Germany and train German athletes, saying: “I am a Russian wrestler. I will remain that way.” In 1945 he was awarded the title “Honored Master of Sports of the USSR”. During the post-war years he lived in terrible poverty; for the sake of food he had to sell all the awards he had won.
Ivan Maksimovich Poddubny died of a heart attack on August 8, 1949 in Yeisk, where he was buried in the city park that now bears his name. There is also a monument there with the following carved on granite: “Here lies the Russian hero.”
Awards of Ivan Poddubny
Awards of Ivan Poddubny
First six-time world champion in Greco-Roman wrestling (1905-1909)
Order of the Legion of Honor (1911)
Order of the Red Banner of Labor (1939)
Honored Artist of Russia (1939)
Honored Master of Sports of the USSR (1945)
Interesting Facts about Ivan Poddubny
Interesting Facts about Ivan Poddubny
At the age of 32, at the French wrestling championship in Paris, he was given a medical card: height 184 cm, weight 118 kg, biceps 46 cm, chest 134 cm at exhalation, hip 70 cm, neck 50 cm.
In the spring of 1906, during Ivan Poddubny’s stay in Yekaterinoslav visiting his friend, historian of the Zaporozhye Cossacks Dmitry Yavornitsky, their mutual friend, artist Nikolai Strunnikov, painted his portrait, in which he depicted Poddubny as a Zaporozhye Cossack. It is kept in the Dnepropetrovsk Historical Museum.
During the occupation of Yeysk by German troops in 1941-1943, Ivan Poddubny continued to defiantly wear his Order of the Red Banner of Labor, received in 1939. The Germans allowed him to open a billiards room at a military hospital, which allowed him to survive the occupation.
Ivan Poddubny had a steel cane weighing 1 pound (16 kg), with which he constantly walked.
In 1924, 53-year-old Poddubny lost a fight to Ryazan wrestler Ivan Chufistov (1885-1968). This was their second meeting; Poddubny won the first. After the fight, he said to his opponent: “Eh, Vanka, I didn’t lose to you, but to my old age.”
Memory of Ivan Poddubny
Memory of Ivan Poddubny
In the USSR, memorials to Poddubny began to be held in 1953.
Since 1962, international tournaments in memory of Poddubny have been held.
In 1971, not far from the athlete’s grave, on the 100th anniversary of his birth, the Poddubny Memorial Museum was opened.
The name “Ivan Poddubny” is given to one of the four pleasure ships of the Feodosia seaport, launched in Taganrog in 1972.
In 2011, a bronze monument was erected in Yeisk to Poddubny with a memorial plaque “To the Champion of Champions in honor of the 140th anniversary from grateful followers,” the opening of which was carried out by wrestler A. A. Karelin.
In cinema
“The Fighter and the Clown” (1957, Mosfilm, directors: Konstantin Yudin and Boris Barnet). “Know ours!” (1985, Kazakhfilm film studio). Poddubny - Dmitry Zolotukhin. “Ivan Poddubny. The Tragedy of the Strong Man" (2005) "Poddubny" (2014, directed by Gleb Orlov). Starring Mikhail Porechenkov.
Family of Ivan Poddubny
Family of Ivan Poddubny
The first wife is Antonina Kvitko-Fomenko. The couple bought a plot of land, built a house and started a farm. The marriage lasted seven years until Antonina met an officer and ran away with him. At this time, Poddubny was touring in Odessa. A few years later, Antonina wanted to return to her husband, but the man did not forgive her.
The second wife is Maria Mashonina, the mother of his student. The strongman was shocked by the beauty and sensuality of the woman. The couple lived on the shores of the Azov Sea, in Yeisk, where they bought a house after the athlete’s American tour. With Maria, the Russian hero lived to death. Poddubny had no children, but Ivan Maksimovich treated Maria’s son with paternal tenderness.
05.09.2020
Sports achivments
An athletes club was created in Kyiv, which was founded by doctors E. Garnich-Garnitsky and A. Kuprin. Ivan Poddubny, a wrestler by vocation, conducted his training in this club. According to the observations of the club doctor, the athlete’s ability is that he is able to develop such strong energy at the right moment, which is like an explosion. In difficult and dangerous moments of the struggle, he did not feel confused and did not lose courage. Poddubny was an intelligent and artistic athlete who was very popular with the public.
By 1903, Ivan Maksimovich Poddubny became a professional belt wrestler, who was already known in Kyiv, Odessa, Tbilisi, and Kazan.
The beginning of circus activities
In 1896, the Beskorovainy Circus toured in Feodosia. On his poster, in addition to the usual program, there was an advertisement for “Russian-Swiss belt wrestling.” Anyone could participate and they promised to reward the winner. Ivan decided to take part in the strongman competition only after 3 days, and lost. When he saw what belt wrestling was like, Ivan relaxed. It was almost the same as in his homeland when he competed with his father. Ivan decided to participate. The competition was short, the circus performer quickly found himself on the shoulder blades.
The audience, remembering Poddubny’s failure last time, was unhappy. Ivan suggested competing further. The first circus performer was followed by a wrestler from Italy, then Georg Lurich and all the other athletes, except Peter Yankovsky. The fight with the latter was a draw.
Poddubny's performances in the circus were very popular. Since 1897, Ivan began working at the Truzzi Circus in Sevastopol. After a short time, it was announced that Poddubny had become a professional wrestler. Ivan understood the intricacies of professional wrestling. A circus tournament is always a well-staged show with a simulated fight with many techniques. Smart Ivan soon realized that he needed to be more technical, stronger, more dexterous. Contemporaries noted that Poddubny was smart and assertive in wrestling and knew how to captivate the public.
Ivan Poddubny's training program
Having carefully studied several books on wrestling and weightlifting, Poddubny outlined a training program for himself. Every day included running, jumping, training with weights, hardening, and he paid special attention to breathing. Ivan also drew up a nutrition plan for himself and strictly adhered to it, eliminating smoking and alcohol. Soon Poddubny was unrecognizable; now he was a real athlete with perfect wrestling technique, who considered his profession an art.
Soon Ivan went on his first tour and became famous in the world of sports. First he went to Odessa, then to Kyiv, where he was invited to the Nikitin brothers' circus. On the advice of circus performer Akim Nikitin, Poddubny grew a mustache, which, together with the Circassian coat and dagger, became his calling card.
During his tours, Ivan also performed as an athlete. It was as if he was holding three people on one arm at the same time. When Poddubny was in Novorossiysk, he had to fight the Swede Anderson. It only took Ivan a couple of minutes to put the wrestler on his back. The audience thought Anderson had given in. After Poddubny’s offer to grapple again, the Swede said that he was ready to participate if the Russian wrestler succumbed. Tickets for further performances were sold out, but Ivan still did not agree. With tears in his eyes, the wife of the circus director persuaded him to save the circus from ruin. Another evening, a satisfied Anderson came out to Ivan, and he grabbed the Swede by the belt, lifted him above his head, then lay on his back on his shoulder blades and lowered the Swede onto himself, supposedly giving away the victory. The crowd rejoiced and laughed, and Anderson shamefully fled from the circus.
Tragic death
They became the bride and groom. And they even set a wedding day. A brave man, Ivan was not afraid of anything in the world, he just could not look at Masha’s performances. He was so worried and afraid for her that his heart ached. Another performance was taking place. Masha performed her number to the music. When the worst moment came, drums began to roll. When a dull sound was heard, Ivan jumped into the arena. Masha was lying in the arena, and she was dead.
He wanted to live without her. Experiencing a terrible event, Poddubny leaves the circus. Having withdrawn into himself, Ivan did not want to see anyone or talk to anyone. He didn’t know what to do next: return home or go to Sevastopol and work as a loader? When the mental pain subsided, Ivan received an invitation to participate in the World Championships in France.
New round
In 1896, the Beskarovainy circus came to Feodosia. The guy liked the tricks so much that he went to every performance. After the show, the athletes from the troupe invited those who wanted to fight with them and receive a reward for winning. The defeat in the arena encouraged me to tirelessly carry 32 kg weights and a 112 kg barbell. As a result, the giant was accepted into the troupe of the Italian Enrico Truzzi.
At the age of 27, a different life began. Crowds came to see Poddubny’s tricks. The crowning number is the telegraph pole trick. He was placed on the shoulders of a strong man, with 20 people clinging to him from below. Under the weight it broke into pieces. Then the fight began with sashes, where Ivan had no equal. The rumor about the hero spread throughout the country.
Russian hero
He really looked like a real hero: Ivan Poddubny’s height was 185 cm. Chest volume - 130 cm, biceps - 45 cm. At that time, these figures were very impressive. At the invitation of G.I. Ribopierre, Poddubny entered the St. Petersburg Athletic Society and began to seriously engage in French wrestling. Under the guidance of coach Eugene de Paris, the athlete was preparing for three months. And so the Russian hero goes to Paris, where the championship was held at the Casino de Paris.
Going international
In 1900, the fashion for French wrestling, known as Greco-Roman, came into fashion. The wrestler began training and represented the country at a competition in 1903 in Paris , where 130 wrestlers participated. Poddubny pinned a dozen opponents until it was Raoul le Boucher's turn. The strange tactics of the Frenchman and the bias of the judges infuriated Ivan. After the tournament, the athlete decided to end his wrestling career. Friends persuaded him to come to his senses and wait for revenge.
Fate brought them together again in sparring at the St. Petersburg tournament. Ivan's revenge was cruel. He literally twisted the Frenchman to the laughter of the audience, until the judges took pity on the unfortunate Raoul. The next fight was with world champion Paul Ponsa, which he won .
By 1910 he had earned a lot of money and decided to change his lifestyle. The wrestler went to the village and started a farm. As a result, the lack of talent for business and the wife’s irrepressible demands led to financial ruin.
Paris experience
Poddubny Ivan, a fighter from God, had already won eleven victories when it was his turn to measure his strength with the champion of Paris, Raoul de Boucher. He was a young man, but also very strong physically. The age difference was significant: the enemy was 20 years old, Poddubny was 35 years old. But he felt during the fight that he would defeat the Frenchman. After a short period of time, the opponent began to sweat and simply slipped out of the hands of the Russian hero. The secret was revealed: it turned out that before the start of the battle, Raoul was anointed with Provençal oil. But this was prohibited according to the competition rules. The fight was stopped at the request of Poddubny: he filed a protest with the judges.
According to their decision, the French athlete was dried with a towel every five minutes, but he was still sweating. After the end of the battle, victory was awarded to Raoul de Boucher. The judges justified their decision by the fact that the athlete very skillfully avoided the opponent’s grabs. Poddubny Ivan Maksimovich decided to take revenge.
Russian epic
During the crazy meat grinder of the civil war, grinding the strength of the people of a once great, but now torn country, when it was necessary to make a choice no longer between sports and the circus, but between the “red, green, gold-chasing” who did not believe in God, Poddubny chose... the circus. Now, after almost a hundred years, we can even fully approve of the choice: the hero’s place - if everything around is turned into a bloody booth - is in the circus, among magicians and laughing clowns, among acrobats and smiling horsewomen. However, just as Achilles did not take refuge on the island from the storms of his time, so Poddubny did not take refuge under the circus dome...
“...The year after the Nativity of Christ 1918 was terrible, but 1919 was worse,” this is from Mikhail Bulgakov’s “The White Guard.” In 1919, when Blok, looking through the buzzing times and spaces, wrote the preface to “Retribution,” Poddubny was almost shot by drunken anarchists in the Zhytomyr circus. I had to run, leaving my things behind, and then wander and beg.
In Odessa, troops of A.I. Denikin and allies. Wrestler Nikolai Razin tells in his book “Half a Century Ago” how he once walked along the luxurious Derribasovskaya and suddenly... “And suddenly I see: approaching - Poddubny. Overgrown, thinner, dirty.” Razin called him over. “They came to my apartment,” Razin writes further. - While I whipped up dinner, I saw: Poddubny was sleeping. I didn't wake him up. Ivan Maksimovich slept for two days, waking up only to eat a sandwich and drink a cup of broth. After getting some sleep, he finally told what happened to him in Zhitomir. It turns out that he was almost shot by anarchists. The reason for this is the world champion ribbon. The French flag is the same in color as the Russian one: white, blue, red stripes... Seeing the traditional ribbon on Poddubny’s chest, one of the anarchists began shouting that Poddubny supported the Tsar, since he wore the colors of the Tsar’s flag. A whole gang of half-drunk anarchists was on guard at Ivan Maksimovich’s circus. He had to go from the back door to the station, and, leaving all his things, get to Odessa without money.” After Odessa, Poddubny and Razin ended up in Kerch, where there were also many troops there. Food is tight, but wine is plentiful. On the embankment they were confronted by drunken officers who behaved rudely. Razin writes: “The sight of two broad-shouldered big men had the same effect on the hungry officers as a red rag on a bull. One of them, staggering on thin legs, came close to us. Ivan Maksimovich narrowed his eyes and, putting his hands behind his back, stopped. The mustache drooped downwards. He was angry. The officer, smiling contemptuously, shouted:
- Corroded the face, man! We need to shoot you!
Ivan Maksimovich asked with feigned indifference:
-What does the officer need?
- “What”?.. Oh, you, your Khokhlyatsky mug! – the officer laughed. “I need to make a hole in you.”
He took out a revolver and put the barrel to Poddubny’s chest. It was impossible to wait. Drunk, it was easy for him to pull the trigger. And without hesitation, I hit the revolver with my left hand from the bottom up, and with my right hand I hit the officer in the jaw ... "
A shot rang out, the bullet grazed Poddubny’s shoulder. The officers rushed at the athletes. “We beat them,” says Razin, “randomly. They immediately fell down like sheaves and never rose again. Ivan Maksimovich, understanding what it meant to beat up officers in such a city, shouted across the entire embankment:
- Rage, good people! They are killing!
And then he struck with such force that the officer’s bones cracked. I began to echo him, pretending to separate them.
- What are you doing, gentlemen officers?! You will kill him!
And he also hit him in the impudent face with his fist. Someone tried to shoot. I don’t know how all this would have ended if the patrol hadn’t arrived in time. We, the officers and an old Greek man who was selling chestnuts nearby, were taken to the commandant's office. The commandant, a handsome young colonel, immediately recognized Poddubny. Smiling at the corners of his lips, he interrogated the witness, an old Greek:
- As it was?
– Gaspada officers rushed at these two. Adin shouted: “Rate!” The other one broke them up...
The commandant, having interrogated the beaten officers, who, having instantly sobered up, were holding on to their swollen eyes and dislocated jaws, released us, saying quietly in parting:
“I advise you to leave tonight, otherwise these scumbags will shoot you.”
Also in 1919, Poddubny performed with a group of wrestlers in Berdyansk. Makhno took the city. Nestor Ivanovich, having learned that wrestlers were holding a “championship” in the city cinema, ordered a performance for his fighters. Clown Pyotr Tarakhno (1895-1976), whom the Makhnovists removed from the train for a performance, spoke about an unexpected meeting with colleagues in his book “A Life Given to the Circus.” The wrestlers sat at the table in the cinema, sadly chewed bread and washed it down with boiling water. Nearby, on a bench, wrapped in a warm robe, lay Ivan Poddubny. Sixteen wrestlers awaited the evening without enthusiasm. And it came. The hall was jam-packed, there was no crowding, no room to breathe, everything was drowning in tobacco smoke. Makhno appeared with his retinue - the head of counterintelligence Levka Zadov, the ideologist Eikhenbaum, the head of the Gulyai-Polye council Kogan. The chieftain collapsed into the provided chair, and the performance began. When the host, the famous joker-entertainer Ivan Lebedev, nicknamed Uncle Vanya, announced the names of the wrestlers: “Ivan Poddubny,” Makhno jumped up and clapped his hands; the others howled with delight. However, the situation was not conducive to inspiration; they fought without a spark. Makhno became bored, and he ordered that his fighter - a certain Gritsko, “a huge red-haired fellow, shirtless, in some incredibly large magenta-colored shorts” - measured his strength with the fighter Stetsura. Adjutant Makhno loudly deciphered the will of the “father”:
“And our otaman, Father Makhno, ordered me to tell you, Gritska, that if you, scoundrel, don’t put this actor on his back, he will personally shoot you like a dog.”
Uncle Vanya ordered Stetsura to “fall under” Gritska in the tenth minute. He obeyed. Makhno was pleased... It was Poddubny’s turn to go against Gritsko. Soon Gritsko was lifted into the air and brought down on his back by Poddubny with such a roar that he almost broke the boards of the stage. The audience fired at the ceiling with delight, Makhno clapped his hands. He didn’t shoot Gritsko, he ordered him to clean the outhouses, and awarded the “actors”...
In Odessa in 1920 - in a city that until recently carried a fighter in its arms - Poddubny had a chance to visit the dungeons of the Cheka, where everyone suspected of anti-Semitism was shot. A certain fighter named Ivan Poddubov, who managed to emigrate, was suspected of involvement in Jewish pogroms and was on the list to be killed. They remembered Poddubny’s face and released him. And here is news from our small homeland: his wife found a replacement for Ivan Maksimovich. I also grabbed some medals. “Oh, you, beautiful Nina!..” He stopped eating and talking, and then even recognizing anyone... Soon his wife wrote him a penitential letter: “On my knees I will go all the way to you, Vanichka”...
No need, cut off!
Moscow Championship
His victorious march continued in Moscow, where the championship was held. Poddubny defeated all the participants here: Shemyakin, Lurikh, Yankovsky. For this he receives a worthy first prize. Next is a trip to the provinces, where the circus is sold out: the reason is Ivan Poddubny. The weight that he was able to lift without any training was 120 kg. In 1904, the Ciniselli Circus hosted the international French wrestling championship. Many famous wrestlers came to participate in it, including Raoul de Boucher.
Resumption of performances
The new World Championship took place in Moscow in 1904. The French did not believe in Poddubny, considering him just a strongman, but not a fighter. The competition took place at the Ciniselli Circus in St. Petersburg. Almost three thousand people visited it every day.
Thirty people took part in the championship, among them were famous wrestlers. The French organizers pre-distributed places in the finals and prizes for them: the first - three thousand rubles, and the rest - one thousand, six hundred and four hundred rubles. But when they learned that Poddubny could take third place, the organizers combined all the money into one prize (5000 for first place), believing that he would not be able to win the tournament.
And again at the decisive moment Poddubny met with Raoul le Boucher. This time Ivan used a trick. He foresaw all of Raoul's moves and did not show him his strength, so thirty minutes passed. The next day a new contraction was scheduled. The second time both opponents rushed at each other, and Raoul was taken aback by surprise. In the second fight, Ivan Maksimovich showed his true strength and skill. At the forty-second minute, Raul refused to fight any further and gave up.
The fight between Paul Pons and Poddubny was the last in this championship. For the first 15 minutes, Ivan watched closely, and then attacked Pons in such a way that everyone felt sorry for him. The glory of a national hero fell upon Poddubny immediately after the victory.
In 1905, Ivan Poddubny again became world champion in Paris. His main opponent was Jesse Pedersen. Their fight in the final lasted for more than an hour, then Ivan decided to cheat and pretended to be tired. The trick worked and allowed Poddubny to put Pedersen on his shoulder blades after an hour and a half of struggle.
Paris was buzzing after the championship. Everyone became interested in the struggle, both ordinary workers and even the top officials of the republic. Each store hung a portrait of Poddubny in national clothes in its window. The public liked his stately figure, and his back was a separate subject of admiration. Everyone longed for his friendship.
The victory of Ivan Poddubny became a victory for the entire Russian Empire. After this, Russian wrestlers began to actively participate in European championships and brought back numerous awards, confirming the power of the Russian spirit and strength.
In Bucharest at the championship in 1906, he became the absolute winner. And in November, Poddubny again fought for the title of champion among champions in Paris. In the final he met the German champion Heinrich Eberle. Eberle was a strong competitor, the best in his nation - he defeated Pytlyasinsky, Petrov, Kara-Akhmet, Pons.
Watching Eberle, Poddubny was very attentive. He was a worthy opponent, a copy of Ivan himself both in strength and tactics. Their struggle lasted more than an hour. Poddubny’s experience and maneuvers won out, bringing the German to exhaustion; with a strong movement he laid him on his back.
Then came Munich, where he again defeated Pedersen, then London, Brussels, Amsterdam and Aachen. And in 1907 in Paris, Poddubny again became the world champion.
In Berlin in 1908, he took part in competitions that were secretly organized by German champion Jacob Koch. Among the famous wrestlers were Pengal, Siegfried, Pedersen. Koch had plans to emerge victorious at the championship, but Poddubny was his main rival. Poddubny was offered a reward; he just had to lose the fight. Ivan showed cunning and supposedly agreed, but in the fight he showed all his strength and emerged victorious. Koch's attempt to come to an agreement with Poddubny became known to the general public and ridicule was showered on the German champion. Ivan was the main news of all newspapers. Journalists gave him the title “Champion of Champions.”
The following year, 1909, Poddubny again won the World Championships in Paris, defeating the Frankfurt champion Weber in the final battle. Despite the fact that at that time Poddubny was almost forty years old, thanks to the correct lifestyle he was in excellent shape.
Once an attempt was made on Poddubny's life. This was organized by Raoul le Boucher while Ivan was touring Italy. The French wrestler Aimable de la Calmette overheard Boucher's conversation with the hired killers and wanted to tell Poddubny, but paid for it with his life. Poddubny successfully dealt with the bandits. Who, despite the failure, began to demand payment from Boucher, but never reached an agreement and killed Boucher himself.
Circus historians call the years 1904-1909 the “golden age” of French wrestling. During this period, Poddubny was at the peak of his fame. The chest in which he kept the awards eventually weighed 33 kilograms. Poddubny’s popularity was extraordinary both in Russia and in Europe; his postcard portraits were sold out in a matter of minutes.
Poddubny’s friends, Petrus Tarakhno and Vitaly Lazarenko, wrote about him that he exuded power and courage, that he was cunning in battle, and intelligently assessed the situation and the enemy. Poddubny liked to joke, asking him to raise his cane. It looked like it was made of wood, but there was cast iron inside it and its weight was 16 kilograms.
In the St. Petersburg album “Fighters” in the 1910s, Poddubny was described as a force similar to a spontaneous hurricane, and that his motto was “man is a wolf to man.”
Victory in St. Petersburg
The international championship lasted a whole month. All the nobility of St. Petersburg sat in the front rows of the circus. The Russian athlete did not have a single defeat. Finally it was the turn of the battle with Raoul. Ivan Poddubny, a strongman, changed his technique this time and simply exhausted the Frenchman. Raoul admitted defeat. Of course, the first prize went to the Russian athlete. Along with the prize, he also received the cash equivalent of 55 thousand rubles.
But victories did not cloud the athlete’s head, and he continued to train and lived according to the regime. Every morning – exercises, weights, dousing with cold water. He walked daily with a metal cane in the fresh air. He never had bad habits such as smoking and alcohol. Ivan Poddubny, whose photos demonstrate this, retained his good health for a long time and looked great.
Busy life period
And here again is Paris, and again the strongest fighters from all countries of the world. Ivan Poddubny, whose biography is full of championships and victories, goes to the capital of France in 1905. And here the strongman defeats everyone, even the then famous Iron Nese - the Danish champion Nese Pedersen. For the championship, Poddubny receives the title of world champion and a bonus of 10,000 francs. Next he will tour around the world.
Trips took place to Nice, Italy, Tunisia, Algeria, and Germany. Everywhere Poddubny takes first places and receives first prizes. These years of Ivan Poddubny’s life are so eventful, because victories and prizes await him everywhere, he received the title “Champion of Champions.” In Vienna he was awarded the title of champion in 1907 for the fourth time.
"Champion of Champions"
In 1903, the chairman of the St. Petersburg Athletic Society invited him to participate in the World French Wrestling Championship. Ivan began intensive preparation for this championship under the guidance of a French coach, which lasted three months.
There were 130 participants in the championship. Poddubny won 11 fights, but he lost to the Frenchman Boucher. The whole cunning of the insidious enemy was that his body was lubricated with olive oil, thanks to which he slipped out of the bear grip of the Russian hero. After this defeat, the Russian athlete became an opponent of dishonest methods in the ring.
A year later, Ivan Poddubny again met in the ring with Boucher. The fight lasted 40 minutes, as a result the Russian athlete won.
In 1905, Ivan again participated in the international championship in Paris. There he becomes world champion. After this victory, he was involved in competitions in different countries of the world and invariably defeated all his opponents.
Homecoming
The period came when Ivan Poddubny decided that it was time to leave his sports career. This happened in 1910. Having said goodbye to the circus arena, he returned home to the village of Krasenivka. Years pass, he is almost forty years old, it’s time to think about his family. To begin with, the athlete decided to buy land for himself. In Bogokhudovka, not far from his village, Ivan Poddubny acquired 130 hectares of land. His biography tells that he got married and started a family.
He bought plots for his relatives, built himself an estate, two mills, and bought a beautiful carriage. But the world champion and true professional Poddubny could not become a good landowner. He was illiterate, could write poorly, and did not recognize punctuation marks. At the table he used cutlery ineptly. For Ivan Poddubny it was too difficult; it was much easier to win a fair fight than to do housework. Professional conscience and honor are the main thing for such people, which should be remembered even now.
The collapse of a quiet life
Poddubny Ivan was engaged in farming for only three years. The family for whom he tried so hard could not keep everything he gave them: the mill was burned down by his younger brother, the second mill was sold to pay off debts. The competitors in the person of Rabinovich and Zarkhi defeated the great athlete in this “battle”. He returned to the carpet in 1913.
Ivan Poddubny continued to show excellent results and arouse the admiration of fans and spectators. He never violated his principles and fought until a fair victory. But time passed, life changed. Global changes were taking place in the world: war, revolution. All this affected the lives of many athletes and artists and cultural figures.
Troubled years
Ivan Poddubny, whose biography is eventful, was also exposed to risk from the activities of various types of combat groups. So, in 1919, drunken anarchists started shooting at the Zhitomir circus. I had to run away without taking any things or money and wander around the world. In the city of Kerch, a drunken officer shot him. During his wanderings, he met Nestor Makhno on his way.
There was a civil war, but Poddubny did not want to kill his compatriots, and therefore did not side with anyone. He did not want to take up arms and continued to fight in the ring. Despite this, the Odessa Cheka arrested the champion. He was lucky only because many people remembered and admired him. The authorities figured it all out and released him. At this time, news came from home: the wife had gone to another man, taking his medals with her. The athlete stopped talking and eating and experienced terrible depression. He was like this, Poddubny Ivan: the family and wife who betrayed him ceased to exist for him. Subsequently, his wife wanted to return to him, but he no longer recognized her.
Country of Soviets
Finally, some kind of order began to be established in the country, and the leadership came to the conclusion that the circus arena could serve as an excellent place for revolutionary agitation and propaganda. And in 1922, Ivan Poddubny continued his work at the Moscow Circus. While on tour in Rostov-on-Don, Ivan Maksimovich met Maria Semyonovna, whom he married. And he even got married in church. Ivan Poddubny, whose photo spread all over the world, even began to look younger.
But now he has problems with money. Therefore, it was necessary to tour and participate in various championships as much as possible. During the NEP period he came to Germany. Here, too, he won many victories, despite the fact that he was much older than his rivals. Then he went to America - it was 1925.
America, America...
In America he began to study freestyle wrestling. After training for a month, Ivan Poddubny was completely ready for fights. It was a real sensation, in which he was even called the American champion. But there were problems here too: he was forced to stay in this country. They acted in different ways: they persuaded, they threatened, they did not pay money. But he is adamant and returns to his homeland in 1927. Here he continues his performances.
His circus life continued until the outbreak of the 1941 war. He was almost 70 years old at this time. In 1939, Ivan Poddubny was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor in the Kremlin. This is how the government appreciated his contribution to the development of sports. In addition, he became an Honored Artist of the RSFSR.
German occupation
Ivan Poddubny, whose biography, height, weight and worldwide fame inspired respect even among the German invaders, refused to be evacuated and continued to live with his wife in Yeisk. He never removed his order, even under the Germans. In order to somehow earn a living, he began working in a billiard room. The athlete had to get food, because he never stopped training.
When the occupation was lifted, Ivan Poddubny went on tour again. The champion was awarded the Honored Master of Sports of the USSR only in 1945. Despite his age, he continued to lead an active life. And two years later, at a performance in honor of the 50th anniversary of work in the circus arena, the athlete still demonstrated excellent results. But age still takes its toll, and this is inevitable.
Poddubny's tragedy
Before the First World War, Ivan was returned to the circus arena and began to make a living performing stunts. What was the cost of Poddubny’s cane , which he “accidentally” dropped on the feet of ill-wishers. They said that it was cast from cast iron to special order. In 1922, the 51-year-old heavyweight went to work at the Moscow Circus .
Since the giant did not delve into politics, he was treated loyally under any government. During World War II, the Germans offered to move to Germany to train the younger generation. Ivan refused and began working as a bouncer in a bar. In 1945 he received an Honored Master of Sports. He spent his last fight on the mat at the age of 70, then retired and moved to the Sea of Azov.
However, all these regalia did not help in life. In the post-war years, in order to somehow eat, Ivan Poddubny sold medals. The tiny rations were clearly not enough for the hero with a mountain of muscles. Perhaps, if he had not broken his hip in Yeisk, where he was not given proper care, he would still have lived. Genetics favored longevity. His grandfather died at the age of 120. When health problems began, Ivan decided to ask Voroshilov to put him on military pay. I didn’t have time to send the letter due to a heart attack. Ivan died in 1949 at the age of 77. In 1955, a book was published about the life of the Russian hero, and later a film was made (“The Tragedy of the Strongman”). Since 1962, classical wrestling tournaments have been held in memory of Poddubny.
Cruel reality
A short time later, Ivan Poddubny suffered a broken leg. And very soon, in 1949, he died of a heart attack. Today, in the champion’s homeland, there is a bust on which are carved the words: “Here lies the Russian hero.” Since 1962, international tournaments for the Ivan Poddubny Prize have been held. He was the strongest man on Earth not only physically, but also spiritually.
But not everything from the life of such a remarkable person is known to historians. There are many periods when his activities were not recorded, and there is confusion with dates. Some historians claim that during the hungry post-war period, Ivan Poddubny did not have enough food. For an athlete who constantly trains, a special diet is required. The lack of vitamins, proteins and minerals could have a negative impact on the health of the famous hero. But the losses could no longer be made up. After all, everything should be done on time, and the real heroes of the Fatherland should be protected.
Famous athlete in cinema
When familiarizing yourself with the biography of Ivan Poddubny briefly, attention is drawn to the fact that, despite world fame, disasters, wanderings and instability in his personal life did not bypass him. The life story of the legendary strongman formed the basis of the Soviet film “The Fighter and the Clown.” It was created in 1957. Ivan Poddubny in the film is shown as a person possessing not only enormous physical, but also spiritual strength.
In 2014, cinema again turned to this topic. The film “Poddubny” repeated the previous film in many details.
The documentary film “The Tragedy of the Strongman” gained great popularity. Ivan Poddubny." It tells about interesting facts from the life of the legendary athlete.
A short biography of Ivan Poddubny is the story of a legendary man who became an unsurpassed example of sports longevity.
