20 most powerful people in Russian history, which we will tell you about right now, will surprise you not only with their power, but also with the records they set.
There have always been many heroes in Rus' who possessed enormous strength and courage. Next, we will take a closer look at the TOP 20 most powerful people in the entire history of Russia.
If you like the column “The Most Excellent in the World,” we recommend that you pay attention to the article “The Strongest Man in the World” and the unbroken records of Russian strongmen.
Evpatiy Kolovrat
In our history, Evpatiy can be called the most powerful military leader. The ancient chronicles tell how he and his squad got involved in an unequal battle with Batu’s warriors.
The manuscripts say: “And Evpatiy beat them so mercilessly that their swords became dull, and he took Tatar swords and cut them with them.”
Soon Batu ordered his most powerful soldier, Khostovrul, to kill the Russian governor. However, in a battle with Kolovrat, he was cut in half with a sword all the way to the saddle.
The Mongol-Tatars managed to defeat Evpatiy’s detachment only with the help of military equipment. As a result, our hero was killed, after which his body was handed over to the soldiers for burial - an unprecedented case for those times.
Skopin Shuisky
Mikhail Skopin-Shuisky was considered an invincible commander during the reign of Ivan 4 the Terrible (see interesting facts about Ivan the Terrible). He and his squad suppressed Bolotnikov’s rebellion, conducted diplomatic negotiations with the Swedes and engaged in military reforms.
Later, he was poisoned by the daughter of Malyuta Skuratov, due to the political intrigues of Dmitry Shuisky.
Skopin had great strength and an athletic build. Today in the museum you can see the broadsword of this strongman - a weapon designed for a super-strong person.
Magnus Ver Magnusson
This man managed to win the title of the strongest man on our planet four times, moreover, he climbed to the second step of the podium twice more. Magnus has never been known for his huge muscles and powerful physique. Weighing only 130 kg, he did not look very powerful compared to his competitors, but often beat them. Among other things, Magnus received the title of the strongest man in Iceland 8 times.
Alexander 3
Russian Emperor Alexander 3 was also distinguished by enviable strength. Even in his youth, he was more interested not in social balls, but in sports. He loved to ride horses and also paid great attention to physical exercise.
There is a known case when the tsar and his family were returning by train from Crimea to St. Petersburg. Suddenly, the train derailed, causing the imperial carriage to be flattened and its roof to completely collapse.
They say that the emperor held the roof of the carriage on his shoulders while the royal family climbed out from under the rubble. In many ways, this is why Alexander 3 took a worthy place in the list of the 20 most powerful people in the history of Russia.
Dmitry Khaladzhi
A native of Ukraine, Dmitry Khaladzhi takes 7th place in the top 10 strongest people on the planet. Sixty-three records he set were included in the Guinness Book. Dmitry was distinguished by his unusual strength even in childhood. As a young man, he easily broke chains, broke horseshoes and lifted cars.
Interesting fact: at the age of four, Dmitry had an accident - he was burned with boiling water and subsequently underwent 7 operations. The disease led to muscle atrophy and he had to learn to walk again.
The records that Khalaji sets look very impressive and even frightening. Many of them repeat the feats of ancient athletes. So, in the Moscow circus, Dmitry performed a number that broke the record of Bibon, an athlete of the ancient world. A modern strongman lifted a stone weighing 152 kilograms with one hand, while the stone lifted by Bibo in the 6th century BC. e., weighed 143 kg. Another amazing record of the Ukrainian strongman was called “Devil’s Forge”. The athlete lay on nails; three concrete blocks with a total weight of 700 kg were placed on his chest and smashed with a sledgehammer.
Grigory Rusakov
Grigory Rusakov became a famous wrestler after performing in the Donbass, when he was still working at a mine. He then participated in various wrestling tournaments in Russia. Later, the strongman became world champion in Argentina and France.
An interesting fact is that for his services to the fatherland he was exempted from military service by order of Nicholas 2.
Rusakov not only fought with people, but also went on the mat against bears. There was a case when in London he entered into a fight with a ferocious bull, over which he won a difficult victory.
How is a person's strength determined?
To assess the power of a particular person, there is a muscle strength parameter. It consists of overcoming external resistance through muscle strength and is a consequence of certain movements. Over time, a person’s strength fades: he gets older, muscle mass decreases. Strength is also affected by:
- hormonal surges;
- individual characteristics;
- a person's work on himself;
- psychological factor.
Thus, power is the totality of the strength abilities of human muscles with the highest degree of agility, endurance, and reaction speed. People who pump up muscles for beauty are not necessarily considered strongmen. We present the ranking of the strongest people on the planet in history who surprised the world.
Ivan Poddubny
Perhaps there is no more famous strongman in Russia than Ivan Poddubny. He is one of the most prominent professional wrestlers in the world.
During his training, Poddubny paid great attention to running, conditioning and exercises with 2-pound weights. He also did not smoke or drink. During walks, the Russian hero always carried with him a cane that weighed 16 kg.
And although Ivan lost some fights, in 40 years of performances he did not lose a single competition or championship. When Poddubny was already well over 50 years old, he was able to defeat the best wrestlers at competitions in the USA and become the “American champion”.
All his performances were always accompanied by sold-out halls. Even his opponents gave him a standing ovation. That is why he received his famous nickname - “Champion of Champions.”
At the end of his life, Ivan Maksimovich admitted that the only force that could defeat him were women: “All my life they led me astray, a fool.”
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.
In 1924, 53-year-old Poddubny lost a fight to Ryazan wrestler Ivan Chufistov. This was their second meeting; Poddubny won the first. After the fight, he said to his opponent: “Eh, Vanka, I lost not to you, but to my old age.”
In the history of Russia there are, perhaps, two unique wrestlers and strongmen, whose achievements are simply incredible and recognized throughout the world. These are Ivan Poddubny and Alexander Karelin (read more about him below).
Louis Uni
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Louis Uni was born in France in 1862. At age 14, he ran away from home with a traveling circus to become a strongman performer. His strength was amazing: he bent coins with his fingers and held cast iron locomotive wheels above his head. In 1913, when he was already over fifty, Uni was seriously injured while demonstrating another trick. He was holding the bumpers of two cars, which were trying to move apart in different directions with their engines humming, and suddenly fell, clutching his chest. As it turned out, he had a torn muscle in his arm and a large blood vessel in his chest. However, to everyone's surprise, Uni quickly recovered from his injury and continued to perform in the arena until his death at 66 years old.
Ivan Zaikin
Ivan Zaikin is a great Russian strongman, World Champion in wrestling and Champion in weight lifting. An interesting fact is that this hero was one of the first Russian aviators. In the West, he was called “Chaliapin of Russian muscles” (see interesting facts about Chaliapin).
Zaikin's power routines brought the audience into indescribable delight. Once in France, he defiantly tore off any chains and bracelets, and bent channels and rails.
He managed to carry an anchor weighing 400 kg, and also rotate a barbell, at both ends of which there were 10 people.
Denis Rogers
Among all the strongmen in the world, Denis Rogers is perhaps the only one with small body dimensions. The man has long passed his sixth decade, but he has immeasurable strength. Weighing only 76 kg, Rogers is able to tear apart thick telephone directories with his hands and stop four large motorcycles in their tracks.
Date of birth: March 10, 1982
Height: 175 cm
Weight: 76 kg
The athlete often appears on American television shows, entertaining guests with his incredible abilities. The creator of the famous Marvel superhero comics, Stan Lee, filmed Denis in his documentary about real people with superhuman abilities.
Denis Rogers' personal record is braking American military aircraft during takeoff.
Georg Hackenschmidt
Hackenschmidt (1878-1968) was called the “Russian lion” for his phenomenal strength and endurance. He was a world champion in wrestling and a world record holder in weightlifting.
In his youth, the hero regularly climbed stairs, holding 2-pound weights in his hands. Later, he developed his muscles so much that he could lift a barbell weighing 122 kg with one hand.
With his arms crossed behind his back, Georg lifted a load weighing 86 kg from a sitting position, and with a 50-kg barbell he could perform squats 50 times. An interesting fact is that today this exercise is called “hack squat”.
Despite the colossal loads that Hackenschmidt subjected his body to throughout his life, he lived to be 90 years old.
Peter Krylov
Krylov repeatedly took first place in competitions for the best athletic figure. He set several world records. In the “wrestling bridge” stance, he squeezed 134 kg with both hands.
In the “soldier's stance,” he performed left-arm presses 86 times in a row, lifting a 2-pound weight. Peter also bent the rails on his shoulders and could hold the platform with the horse and rider.
Brian Shaw
Second place in the top 10 modern strongmen is occupied by Brian Shaw , who has won the title of “The Strongest Man in the World” three times. He began his career in strength sports in 2005 as an amateur. A year later he was performing as a professional. He became the only strongman to lift 6 Atlas stones (one of the stages of the World's Strongest Man competition). He has excellent physical characteristics for a strongman - height 203 cm, weight 197 kg.
Alexander Zass
Alexander Zass was nicknamed “Iron Samson” in honor of the biblical character, distinguished by unprecedented strength. Zass carried horses and pianos in front of the assembled public, caught with his bare hands from a distance of 8 m cannonballs flying from the barrel of a cannon, and also held a channel with people sitting on it in his teeth.
In the late 30s, he showed a number during which a loaded truck drove over him. Some thought that after this the Russian strongman would not get up, but to the surprise of the public, he quickly stood up and bowed to the enthusiastic spectators.
Bogatyr was one of the first to practice isometric exercises. Thanks to this, he strengthened his muscles so much that he was able to set many records that remain unbroken to this day.
Greg Kovacs
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Greg Kovacs was an electrical engineer who gave up his career to pursue bodybuilding and powerlifting. Thanks to his impressive muscles, he was one of the most popular strongmen in the United States for many years. However, he could not concentrate on any one area, and that is why, according to experts, his athletic success was much more modest than his natural abilities allowed. Soon Kovacs quit the sport, deciding to become a strongman coach. And then he found himself, quickly gaining a reputation as a coach who can work miracles. Alas, his career was short-lived: Greg Kovacs died suddenly of a heart attack at the age of 44.
Ivan Shemyakin
We can say that Shemyakin made himself. At the first classes at the athletic school, he could lift a barbell of no more than 72 kg. But this did not make the guy give up. On the contrary, he began to train hard and soon achieved outstanding results.
In 1908, Shemyakin demonstrated a complex power trick - a steel beam was bent on his shoulder. 5 years later, he defeated the well-known Ivan Zaikin at the world championship, taking 1st place in the tournament.
An interesting fact is that he measured his strength more than once with the already aged Ivan Poddubny, but all these fights ended in a draw.
Victor Delamare
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Canadian Victor Delmar, less than 170 centimeters tall and weighing 68 kilos, was mistaken by many for a weakling. But this impression was deceptive. Nature endowed Victor with an unusually strong spine and muscles of steel, thanks to which he demonstrated miracles of power. He lifted 17 adult men on his back, supported a weight of 100 kilograms with one little finger and carried a horse up the stairs. “Canadian Samson,” as the press called Victor, was engaged in wrestling and showed strength tricks only in his free time from his main duty: Victor was a policeman. And it’s unlikely that the local thugs allowed themselves to commit outrages on his site!
Ivan Lebedev
Over the years of his biography, Lebedev put a lot of effort into the development of athletics and wrestling in Russia. He published books in which he discussed strength training, training, and also paid great attention to nutrition.
It is curious that Ivan, being a famous strongman, did not recommend that people eat meat, because he believed that it forms uric acid, which is poisonous to the body.
The man considered the main rule of eating to be chewing food thoroughly. He was also against alcohol, smoking tobacco and wearing warm clothes.
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Vasily Alekseev
Without Vasily Alekseev, the list of the 20 most powerful people in Russia would be incomplete, because he is called the last hero of the USSR. In the West, the athlete was nicknamed the “Russian Bear.”
Alekseev won the Olympic Games twice, took 1st place at the Soviet championships 7 times, and became the World and European Champion 6 times each.
During his life, Vasily Alekseev set 80 world records and 81 USSR records. In the period 1989-1992, he was the coach of the country's weightlifting team.
An interesting fact is that during his work, none of his charges were injured. It is worth noting that Arnold Schwarzenegger admired and was inspired by his achievements.
Examples of strong personalities
Joy Mangano
History knows many strong personalities and examples of famous people, whose biography may well be a role model.
One of these is an American housewife named Joy Mangano, a real example of realizing the notorious American dream.
This woman was born with an inventive streak. She lived in poverty, went to work early, and her first job was a veterinary clinic. After watching naughty flea-infested dogs, Joy invented a flea collar that could glow in the dark.
But since I was a teenager, I was unable to bring my idea to life. Instead, it was done by a “senior comrade”, to whom the idea brought millions. The offended girl decided that next time she would definitely grab fate by the tail and become an example of people who achieved success from scratch.
A few years later, already being a mother with three children, she came up with a miracle mop. The device had a cotton rag and a simple wringer mechanism - if you have something similar in your home, then remember that we have to thank the ordinary American Joy Mangano for the self-wringing mop))
For the first batch of one hundred mops, the inventor collected money from friends, humiliated herself and begged. And then... in 20 minutes in the TV store she managed to sell 18,000 pieces. Today they are sold at ten million a year, and Joy has become one of the richest women businessmen - she has built an Empire for the development of useful little things for the household.
Alexander Karelin
Alexander Karelin weighed 6.5 kg at birth. At the age of 13, the future champion was 178 cm tall and weighed 78 kg. 4 years after starting classes in the section, the guy became the world champion among juniors.
Over the years of his unique sports career, he managed to win 887 fights. Karelin took first place at the Olympic Games 3 times, became world champion 9 times, European champion 12 times and champion of the USSR, CIS and Russia 13 times.
For his truly phenomenal abilities and enormous sporting achievements, he was awarded the “Golden Belt” four times as the best wrestler on the planet - in 1989, 1990, 1992, 1994. Karelin was also recognized as the best athlete of the year in the world.
Alexander is included in the list of the 25 best athletes in the world of the 20th century. He is included in the Guinness Book of Records as an athlete who has not lost a single fight for thirteen years. It is reliably known that some opponents simply refused to fight him out of fear.
Becca Swenson
When you think of the phrase “power man,” only men come to mind. However, American Becca Swanson is one of the few world-famous women in weightlifting.
Date of birth: May 30, 1976
Height: 178 cm
Weight: 110 kg
Her personal best is squats with a weight of 388 kg, which not every male athlete is able to perform. And in a lying position, a woman squeezes up to 270 kg.
Until now, her records have not been broken by any woman, which gives her the right to bear the title of the strongest female person.
Since 2002, Strongwoman has been actively participating in powerlifting tournaments. Recently, Becca has been actively involved in wrestling and is a professional MMA fighter.
Fedor Emelianenko
The legendary MMA fighter Fedor Emelianenko received the nickname “The Last Emperor”. For almost 10 years, no one could defeat him, which is a unique case in the history of MMA.
Emelianenko is a 4-time MMA heavyweight world champion according to Pride FC, 2-time according to RINGS, 2-time according to WAMMA, 4-time world champion and 7-time Russian champion in combat sambo. Master of Sports in Sambo and Master of Sports of International Class in Judo.
Fedor Emelianenko with future US President Donald Trump
Thanks to his sporting achievements, Fedor became famous throughout the world. He never expressed any insults towards his opponents, and also did not show cruelty to his opponents when they could barely stand on their feet. For these and other qualities, he gained enormous authority even among his opponents.
It is curious that the legendary boxer Mike Tyson (see interesting facts about Tyson) has said more than once that he is a fan of Fedor Emelianenko.
Hafthor Bjornsson
Hafthor Bjornsson , winner of prizes in competitions for the title of the strongest man in the world, takes 4th place in our top 10. He is also the tallest modern strongman - his height is 206 cm. Thanks to his outstanding physical characteristics, the strongman received the role of the royal guard Gregor Clegane in the cult television series Game of Thrones.
Lev Tolstoy
An interesting fact is that not only wrestlers and professional athletes were very strong Russians. The great Russian writer Leo Tolstoy was also a very strong man.
Even in his old age he continued to play sports. There were rings and a trapeze in his home, and a horizontal bar was installed in the yard.
In addition, the famous writer was fond of weights. He once admitted that he could once lift a load of 80 kg with one hand. And it's not hard to believe.
At the age of 70, he outpaced young guys in running, swam beautifully and rode horses regularly. A year before his death, when Tolstoy was already 82 years old, he was able to overcome in his arms all the guests who came to his house.
As you know, Lev Nikolaevich promoted a healthy lifestyle. He did not drink, and after 50 years (when he himself became a vegetarian) he recommended abstaining from meat.
Success stories of rich people
Oprah Winfrey
It is impossible to list in a few words all the failures, difficulties, and grievances that fill the success story of Oprah Winfrey. She was able to earn a capital of two and a half billion through... intimate conversations. But I didn’t come to this right away.
Her mother was a frivolous girl of eighteen years old. She gave birth to her daughter “by accident” and disliked her from the moment of birth. She dropped it off with her grandmother in the Mississippi wilderness, and she went off to the city to “search for happiness.” Grandmother turned out to be a kind, sensitive and caring person. Thanks to her, the girl’s talents were discovered early: she loved to “interview” animals, and at the age of 5 she gave such heartfelt speeches in church that everyone said: “The Holy Spirit descended on the child!”
But then Oprah was taken in by her grief-stricken mother. They lived in terrible poverty, and on top of that, the girl was repeatedly sexually abused by her cousins from the age of nine. As a result, having matured a little, she couldn’t stand it and ran away wherever she looked. She gave birth and buried a premature baby, wanted to commit suicide, got addicted to drugs and slept with pushers for a fix.
Only when she got to her father’s house did she begin to get back on her feet. And she was even able to make her way onto television, although with great difficulty, at that time a woman with dark skin was considered a lower-class creature. Everywhere she was shown the door as “unsuitable”; for example, Oprah was fired from the Baltimore news because she was too emotional.
Today she is an idol and idol of Americans, her programs are watched with bated breath. And Oprah Winfrey certainly deserves all this.
Sylvester Stallone
Sylvester Stallone, “Sly,” was born into a family of poor Italian immigrants, in the creepy New York neighborhood of “Hell’s Kitchen.” The birth was difficult; the baby’s nerve endings were damaged. Therefore, part of his cheeks, tongue and lips remained paralyzed.
He studied at a special school for troubled teenagers, grew up among drug addicts, bandits and prostitutes, having learned a simple truth from childhood: if you want to survive, strike first. Need I say that Sylvester Stallone's success story turned out to be incredibly complex?
Stallone dreamed of cinema: he acted in extras, went to screen tests, wrote unsuccessful scripts, played several “passing” roles... But it was as if no one saw him, he was invisible! His crazy dream of becoming an actor was openly mocked.
Tired of endless lack of money, his wife left him. Sly had only a dog left, and an empty, cold apartment - the heating and electricity were turned off for the malicious defaulter. Then I had to sell my dog to buy food and not die of hunger. Reluctantly, because friends are not sold, he did it - there was nothing to feed the dog. Sly swore that he would buy him out as soon as he got the money.
Where there! He found himself at a dead end, forced to keep warm in public libraries until he finally came up with a script about boxer Rocky Balboa, timed to coincide with the 200th anniversary of American independence, although at first they did not want to take the script anywhere.
Finally, a couple of young producers agreed to take a risk and offered $15,000 for the script. But they didn’t need Stallone as an actor who offered himself “in addition.” And he categorically refused any money offered, because he wanted to play Rocky himself.
Time passed, the producers raised the rates: $100,000, $250,000... Sylvester said no. Bent from poverty, he continued to say “no” and eventually achieved his goal - he was hired for the main role, paying the initially offered price for the script.
And Stallone bought back his dog, which was sold for $50, giving the entire fee for him - 15,000.
After the premiere of the film, he woke up famous. Then there were many ups and downs. He is considered the record holder for nominations for the infamous Golden Raspberry. Many whispered that it was better for Sly to leave the cinema. He was declared bankrupt several times and forced to sell his share in the Planet Hollywood cinema for debts.
But, like the beloved heroes of his films, Stallone finds the strength to get up after every fall.
Beyoncé
This is now the beautiful Beyoncé - the idol of millions, one of the highest paid singers, but in the past not everyone recognized her talent. It is worth telling Beyoncé fans interesting facts about her biography.
As part of a girl group, she took part in the most prestigious talent competition on national television. And... she was defeated.
After the first failure, she decided to continue her career only at the suggestion of her parents, for which her father quit his job, and her mother worked on the girl’s image, but everything turned out terribly wrong: the producers either agreed to “take under the wing” of the young Destiny’s Child, then they tore up contracts, the girls mercilessly scandalized between themselves. Beyoncé's parents were so exhausted that they announced a divorce.
And only a few years later the project finally started working. And today her fortune is estimated at three hundred million dollars.
Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg's name on the poster of any film is a sign of quality. These days, the author of “Jurassic Park,” “Indiana Jones,” “Jaws,” “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,” “Saving Private Ryan,” “Poltergeist,” “The Terminal” and a host of other gorgeous films is known not only to film fans.
And if you like the work of Steven Spielberg, interesting facts from his biography will definitely impress you.
Firstly, he is extremely scrupulous about his name. If he considers the finished film to not meet standards, he will definitely demand that mention of himself be removed from the credits.
Secondly, in his youth he tried to enter the Film School at the University of California, but received low scores on the exams and failed twice.
Deciding to go from the other side, he became a student at a technical college, and in his free time he shot his first short film, which was noticed at the Universal Pictures studio. Since then, Stephen has moved forward confidently.
And Spielbegr still entered the film school, but only 37 years after his first failures))
