Georg Lurich was born in 1876 in a small village in Estonia when it was part of the Russian Empire. His professional career as a wrestler and strongman began in 1895 when he set a world record at a weightlifting contest in St Petersburg. Soon after winning that contest, he toured his homeland meeting many adoring crowds. To this day, his name is still a household word and you can find it on many schools, gymnasiums and other public buildings.
Died tragically in 1920 from a typhoid fever epidemic, a result of having to flee St Petersburg south to Armavir in the Caucasus due to the Russian civil war. He is a legend among Estonians. -Rj/IE
ReplyDeleteI have an Estonian stamp with this pose, waist up, on it.
ReplyDeleteGeorg Lürich - Estlands stolthet
ReplyDeleteEn stor mästare, en stor tragedi.
En baktisk tysk till födseln, et estnisk legend vid döden.
-Baltijasmodes