The most well-known Russian wrestler, who fairly actually broke his opponents, discovered himself damaged by the Soviet system.
“Kliment Efremovich, I am 78 years old. Remember my services to the country and the Soviet power. You yourself called me a national hero and, now, you have forgotten me. I ask one thing only: attach me to the canteen of the local military unit, so that I could at least sometimes eat hot food.” An unfinished letter containing these traces, addressed to Marshal Kliment Voroshilov, was present in Ivan Poddubny’s bed room after his demise. On August 8, 1949, the legendary Russian wrestler handed away within the city of Yeisk, on the shores of the Black Sea.
“If he won’t throw them, he’ll just break them”
Ivan Poddubny performing a throw
Public area
A telegraph pole was positioned on his shoulders, on which ten folks held on either side – and the pole finally broke. At a peak of 184 centimeters, Ivan Poddubny weighed 120 kilograms. He started to earn cash by easy energy – in Poltava area, (now Ukraine), the place he was born, Ivan labored as a laborer from the age of 12. At the age of twenty-two, he obtained a job as a port loader, working between Sevastopol and Feodosia.
In the port surroundings, Ivan picked up unhealthy manners and habits. Later, he stated that he obtained all attainable venereal ailments whereas working within the port. Loaders competed amongst themselves in wrestling and, of their surroundings, Ivan realized his first methods, together with “dirty” ones, not accepted amongst skilled wrestlers.
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Ivan’s lack of approach was compensated for by his “bogatyr” energy. According to legend, in 1896, he went to look at a circus present in Feodosia. When the wrestlers got here into the sector and started to search for these keen to struggle among the many public, Ivan volunteered – and received all however one struggle – however solely as a result of the younger Ivan lacked skilled approach. Nevertheless, Poddubny was invited to the circus as a strongman and, in 1897, his circus profession started.
Ivan Poddubny together with his father Maksim, mom Anna and little brother Mitrofan, circa 1912
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Quite rapidly, Ivan discovered himself in circus wrestling, which used pre-rehearsed, however dangerous and spectacular stunts, falls and throws. Wrestlers carried out in costumes and below monikers, performed out conflicts and imitated accidents. One of the wrestling promoters of these instances, the well-known Ivan ‘Uncle Vanya’ Lebedev (1879-1950), recalled: “[Poddubnyi] broke the world’s best wrestlers without any regret and without the slightest embarrassment. He was as strong as a natural hurricane. He was terrible not only for Russians, but also for all foreign wrestlers: if he won’t throw them, he’ll just break them.”
In 1905, Ivan Poddubny made a sensation on the World Wrestling Championships in Paris, the place he defeated the 1903 world champion, Jess Pedersen. After this victory, he started to tour Europe extensively and was thought of one of many invincible wrestlers.
“Of great strength and equal stupidity”
Ivan Poddubny (R) with one in every of his youthful brothers
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Ivan received many fights utilizing brutal port-loader methods. According to legend, in 1905 in France, Ivan, who had a really sturdy character, quarreled with a Japanese martial arts grasp. The latter proposed to determine the battle in a struggle. The Japanese grasp coped with all of the forceful assaults of Poddubny, avoiding his blows and placing in blocks, however Ivan by accident caught the grasp by his garments, turned him over and broke his thigh bone. The grasp was taken to the hospital in a traumatic shock situation. Poddubny was certainly feared for such methods.
At one level, Ivan organized an attraction referred to as ‘Poddubny vs. Everyone’: he supplied 200 francs to anybody who may maintain out with him for quarter-hour and eight,000 francs to anybody who may defeat him. Since nobody may final quarter-hour or defeat him, all the cash went to Poddubny. At the identical time, he didn’t turn out to be a wealthy man – Ivan drank, partied and squandered his earnings, whereas additionally clearly hooked on ladies.
Ivan Poddubny together with his third spouse Maria Mashonina
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According to legend, Poddubny’s past love ended tragically – gymnast Maria Dozmarova, with whom he had an affair, fell off a trapeze and died. Antonina Kvitko grew to become Poddubny’s first spouse in 1910 – to match Ivan, his spouse weighed greater than 100 kilograms. Poddubny constructed himself an property in Poltava Region, began a mill, however, in the long run, failed to prepare his house life and family – he felt rather more accustomed to the circus area. His spouse lived out the cash he earned and, in 1920, on the peak of the Civil War, ran away with a White Guard officer, taking along with her all her husband’s medals.
In the early Twenties, Poddubny once more returned to Europe with a tour. During this era, he met author Alexander Kuprin, who wrote: “Yesterday, I had dinner with Poddubny – a man of great strength and equal stupidity,” When, in 1925, Poddubny went on tour to the U.S., he was already 54 years previous, however for all his life and good profession, he couldn’t save or put apart any cash.
Famished demise of the grasp
Ivan Poddubny in his later years (after 1939), posing in opposition to his personal poster
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Ivan Poddubny himself was keen on legends and rumors, so the main points of his biography are very doubtful. One of those legends claims that Poddubny was allegedly “banned” in the us, as a result of he refused Lavrentiy Beria’s supply to coach the athletes on the ‘Dynamo’ sport society – it united workers of state safety and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. But, there is not any affirmation of this. The actual purpose for the shadow ban the us placed on Poddubny might be totally different.
In 1927, coming back from the United States, Poddubny purchased a home with a backyard within the city of Yeisk and settled there with Maria Mashonina, a widow with whom he lived the final years of his life. In the Thirties, he coached native wrestlers and remained an area star. But, in 1942-1943, Yeisk was occupied by the Germans. They carried out mass shootings and robbed the inhabitants. At the identical time, Poddubny, who instantly attracted the eye of the occupiers together with his dimension and proud look, labored for them as a marker in a billiard membership – he was in actual fact a collaborator.
During the German occupation, Poddubny – once more, in response to legend – proudly wore the Order of the Red Banner of Labor, which he obtained in 1939, on his chest. But, it did him little good. After the liberation of Yeisk, Poddubny, like all residents who survived within the occupied territories, went by means of a strict and prolonged interrogation by the NKVD. He was not repressed – the legend of Russian wrestling was in his 70s. However, Poddubny’s ration was lowered a lot that the previous wrestler was at all times hungry. All the remaining medals and awards he exchanged within the markets for meals.
Ivan Poddubny’s home in Yeisk, then and now
Public area; AlixSaz (CC BY-SA)
The final triumph of Ivan Poddubny occurred in 1945 – in Moscow’s Gorky Park, with a big crowd of individuals current, he was awarded the title of Honored Master of Sports of the us. The crowd of admirers rocked Poddubny of their arms, toasts and music sounded. And then, Poddubny returned to Yeisk. Despite the brand new title, his pension didn’t improve – the Soviet authorities had not forgiven him for his “betrayal”. In 1948, Ivan fell and broke his femoral neck; from then on, he may solely transfer on crutches.
Ivan Poddubny died in Yeisk in 1949 of a coronary heart assault. His home and grave have been preserved and there are two monuments to probably the most well-known Russian wrestler, who, within the final years of his life, sadly didn’t even manage to pay for for meals.
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