There are a lot of amazing things in the world that amaze the imagination. Among these curiosities is the tallest man in the world, who is almost twice as tall as the average inhabitant of the planet. Who is he? Where? How tall is he?
This is Leonid Stepanovich Stadnik - a Ukrainian, a resident of the Zhytomyr region, Chudnovsky district, the village of Podolyantsy. Unfortunately, this extraordinary giant is no longer alive, he died in 2014 from a cerebral hemorrhage, but history remembered such an unusual and kind person, for whom huge growth was the biggest problem in life, short and hard.
The tallest man Leonid Stadnik
In 2007, Leonid Stadnik's height was 2 meters 53 centimeters, and the palm size was 30 centimeters. Before the discovery of Leonid, the title of the tallest man on the planet was held by a Chinese resident Bao Xishun (2 meters 36 cm).
Leonid Stadnik is the mostthe tallest man in the world! The world did not immediately know about him. Until the age of 34, Leonid lived relatively quietly, doing housework and complaining about his enormous growth caused by a tumor of the pituitary gland, a brain appendage responsible for the function of growth and metabolism.
The usual childhood of an ordinary boy
Modest Leonid grew up, like all rural boys: in games, climbing trees and helping his mother with the housework. He went to school, like all children, on time. In the first grade, he was even a little lower than his peers. At the age of 12, a turning point occurred that determined the further life path of Leonid: difficult and painful. Doctors discovered a benign brain tumor in the young man. An operation was performed, after which the child began to grow very actively; at the age of 18, Leonid crossed the two-meter bar. The mother did not have time to buy shoes and clothes for her child. After school, which Leonid Stadnik graduated with a gold medal, then there was the Zhytomyr Veterinary Institute, his young man also graduated with honors. Then in the biography of Leonid ten years of work as a veterinarian on a collective farm.
Why did Leonid get so tall?
Leonid Stadnik (photo located in the article) was very shy of his huge growth, he tried to bend down so as not to stand out from the rest of the people. At various public events, he hid in the darkest corner to be less noticeable.
Leonid rode a bicycle to work, which was seven kilometers from home, but the iron friend could not withstand the weight of his masterand constantly broke down. And this is natural, because with the growth of Leonid, his weight also increased. Trying to find a way out, the guy bought himself a new vehicle - two horses and a cart, which he used to get to work. One winter, he caught a bad cold, then broke his left ankle. The doctors did not put a plaster cast, as a result of which the left leg became shorter than the right one by a couple of centimeters. With a weight of about 200 kg, it became increasingly difficult for Leonid to move around, and he began to go out of his own yard less and less. In his own house, a man walked, bending down. The problem of movement was relevant, because Leonid Stadnik, whose height was twice the usual, could not travel by public transport.
Everyday problems of the Ukrainian giant
There were huge problems with shoes and clothes, because such sizes simply did not exist on sale, at least in local markets. And if the clothes of the 70th size could still be ordered for tailoring, then with the shoes of the 62nd size things were quite deplorable.
Suddenly falling on Leonid world fame somewhat facilitated the material side of the issue; there was a large number of people who wanted to help the good-natured giant. Craftsmen from Zaporozhye sewed him sandals and shoes made of very durable leather, technicians built a special bicycle, which, unfortunately, broke down as soon as Leonid decided to ride it. At that time, President of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko presented a Chevrolet car, which made it easier for Leonid to move around. True, he himself did not drive for a reasonpoor eyesight; brought friends and acquaintances. Having learned about the problems of the tallest man in the world, hundreds of people began to write to Leonid with words of support, and he tried to answer everyone.
He was taken under his wing by a California doctor who visited Leonid twice and constantly consulted him via the Internet.
Unexpected and unwanted publicity
World fame, which brought fame and new acquaintances to Leonid, greatly complicated the life of the reclusive giant. Firstly, registration in the Guinness Book of Records required the payment of a certain fee, which was an overhead for Leonid; disabled of the 1st group, he did not work since 2004 due to the collapse of the farm and existed on a small disability pension and a subsidiary farm, which did not bring income, but provided food: eggs, milk, cottage cheese, meat.
Publicity could lead to the gates of Leonid some visitor who arrived several hundred or even thousands of kilometers away, whose goal was a joint photo with the tallest man in the world. It was precisely such unwanted moments that disrupted the reclusive lifestyle of Leonid, whose inner world was concentrated on his own yard and beloved vineyard - the work of his whole life. Indeed, such a hobby for the Zhytomyr region was somewhat unusual due to the unsuitable climate for perennial shrubs. But love for them and painstaking daily work endowed Leonid, his mother and sister, with whom he lived under the same roof, with fragrant sweet clusters. Leonid Stadnik did not make wine, because he did not drinkalcoholic drinks, and he was not interested in smoking. He made delicious juices from grapes.
Leonid's he alth problems
Many times the giant was offered to participate in various promotions, but he categorically refused. The monetary side of the issue was of little interest; Leonid's cherished dream is to be just like other people, lead a normal life, dress in normal clothes, of which there are a large number on the market, wear ordinary shoes, and not order them specially, and see. After all, due to a tumor growing in the head, vision worsened every day, and growth continued to increase, and in 2011 it was already 257 centimeters.
Leonid needed an urgent surgical intervention, which the doctors of the Feofaniya clinic undertook to perform. The operation was performed on two tables put together, and in the ward Leonid slept on two beds. The attitude of doctors and attendants to such an unusual and suffering person was very warm and sincere.
Loss of Leonid's mother
The last official measurements of Leonid Stadnik were the results of 2007; then he simply refused to measure himself, not intending to be a sensation and surprise people, because his huge growth brought him nothing but suffering. In 2009, Leonid refused official measurements and was stripped of the title of the tallest man in the world, giving way to the Turk Sultan Kesen, whose height was 2 meters 51 centimeters.
In 2011, Leonid Stadnik's mother, Galina Pavlovna, died; losing a loved oneLeonid completely lost heart, stopped communicating with people, rarely began to leave the house. Plants and pets remained his favorites.
The tallest Ukrainian has died
August 23, 2014 Leonid could not get out of bed, fell to the floor. An ambulance urgently took the man to a Zhytomyr hospital, but they could not save him. Leonid Stadnik died in the hospital on August 24. Cause of death - cerebral hemorrhage.
According to acquaintances, Leonid had a premonition of his death and was very worried that he would cause a lot of trouble to people who happened to bury him. He told his acquaintances that he was unlikely to live to be 45 years old. Indeed, his life ended at the age of 44.
Close friends, classmates, teachers attended the modest funeral of Leonid. The length of the coffin was 3.5 meters.
Today, the Turk Sultan Kosen is considered the tallest, he is 10 centimeters lower than Leonid.
