"Hairy Kostromich" who was turned into a "dog" in an American freak show
"Hairy Kostromich" who was turned into a "dog" in an American freak show

Video: "Hairy Kostromich" who was turned into a "dog" in an American freak show

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Fedor Evtikheev - a man with a rare disease
Fedor Evtikheev - a man with a rare disease

Panopticums are a terrible invention of mankind. The passion for contemplating people whose physical appearance differs from the generally accepted made such exhibitions profitable, and their organizers spared no effort and time to replenish their "collections" with new "artists". Their fate was often unenviable. So, the real sensation of the late 19th century was Fedor Evtikheev, a guy who was nicknamed "fur terrier" for his thick hair. According to legend, he was raised by wolves in the Kostroma forests, and, performing on stage, barked and tore raw meat with his teeth …

Fyodor Evtikheev - the most famous artist of freak show in America
Fyodor Evtikheev - the most famous artist of freak show in America

Fedor Evtikheev (according to other sources Petrov) hails from the village of Berezniki, he was born in 1870. From birth he suffered from a rare disease - hypertrichosis, for this reason his body was covered with hair. Of course, with such an appearance it was impossible to dream of a fulfilling life: having matured, the guy realized that he had to earn his living by performing at fairs and circuses. For several years he toured Russia with his fellow in misfortune - Adrian Evtikheev, a man who was born in a neighboring village and suffered from a similar ailment. A local entrepreneur immediately came up with a legend that Fedor and Adrian are father and son, and to this day, many sources attribute them to consanguinity.

Fedor Evtikheev - a man with a rare disease
Fedor Evtikheev - a man with a rare disease

Interestingly, both men were devout, and the money they earned were often given to the poor. Adrian, however, soon became addicted to alcohol, yet it was not easy to endure such a test and constant ridicule. After his death, Fedor received a tempting offer - he was invited on a tour to America as part of the Burnham troupe. It was stupid to refuse such an offer, and Fedor went to entertain the overseas audience.

Fedor Evtikheev - a man with a rare disease
Fedor Evtikheev - a man with a rare disease

Despite the fact that the owner of the circus was tolerable towards the artists, Fyodor still had a hard time. During performances, he had to portray a half-wild beast, growling and barking, responding to the nickname Jo-Jo. According to legend, he was found in the forest, his father was shot, and the boy was fed by wolves. For greater plausibility, Fedor was forced to tear raw meat, pretend to be a brutal creature. In fact, he was a very intelligent person, he knew four foreign languages, at the end of his life he was engaged in philology, taught children from poor families. He toured all his life, visited European countries many times, was interested in foreign culture. Fedor died of pneumonia, never returning to Russia.

The poster of the performance of the savage from Kostroma
The poster of the performance of the savage from Kostroma

Human zoos, like freak show, were not uncommon in the 19th century. In Europe, this is how whole ethnological "expositions" were kept, where representatives of various nationalities lived …

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