Symon Volodymyr 1902-49

Many of us will have been presented with a copy of the Guinness Book of World Records in our past Christmases. A great book for filling the mind with almost useless facts, but as is often the case with facts they can get some wrong, well maybe.

For years I've known that Illinois born Robert Wadlow was reported as the World's tallest man based on irrefutable evidence. That evidence being that someone official actually measured him. Well, years ago I was told by (stay with me on this one) a Rag and Bone Man of a Ukranian man who by far beat that record but was never officially recognised.

Symon Volodymyr was born without any limbs below his waist and was raised in almost solitude on his families farm in Vinnytsia Oblast. He had two brothers, Yosyp and Danilo the first of which claimed he never knew he had an older brother for over twenty years. Symon's Father kept him locked away in out-building much like you would see in a Hammer Horror type movie where the family "monster" was locked in the attic room. His Mother was the only one to care for him but upon her death in 1949 his father murdered Symon before starting a fatal fight in bar, perhaps through guilt?

Danilo was killed in the Second World War but his brother Yosyp survived and returning to inherit his Fathers lands found the body of his murdered brother Symon. He discovered that although he indeed had no limbs below the waist his skin had grown to an incredible length and was amassed around the foot of the bed in which he had lain all his life. Before cremating the body his brother claimed that he measured Symon and found that at full length he measured 32 feet.

Twenty four years after his death the daughter of Yosyp, Natalka, having no doubt heard the story of her Uncle Symon countless times tried to have his amazing height recognised by the Guinness Book of World Records but as no physical proof existed it was dismissed. Years later Natalka married a Scottish engineer and moved to Falkirk in Scotland. She had told the story of her Uncle to many people and upon her death in 1987 had a plaque placed underneath her own graveside with the simple letters 'SV' and 32' 0". Many where baffled by this addition to the graveside until a local historian, Donald Belthweir, wrote an article that appeared in the BBC's History Magazine laying out the whole story for all to see.

Today I drove to Falkirk and found the graveside of Natalka Hugh (Volodymyr).