Looking back at the remarkable life of Igor Vovkovinskiy
The city of Rochester lost an icon last Friday, when Igor Vovkovinskiy passed away at the young age of 38. A native of Ukraine, Igor came to the Med City at the age of seven for what the family thought would be a short visit to find the cause of his remarkable growth — but eventually, Rochester turned into a permanent home for him.
Vovkovinskiy ended up becoming the tallest man in America, and found fame because of it — but for the people that knew him when he first moved here, they remember him as an adult-sized elementary schooler who loved to laugh, play, and have fun.
“Between class and in the mornings, Igor and I were kinda buddy-buddy and he would give me piggyback rides," said Rochester resident Matt Ranfranz. "I’m just this little kindergartner or first grader, and sitting up on the shoulders of this six-foot kid. I just felt like the bee’s knees.”
Before long, however, the body that took Igor to national prominence would give him serious pain, eventually relegating him inside his house before dying of heart disease on August 20.
In the wake of his passing, he is remembered as a compassionate, genuine person who gave more love than he received. In this episode of the Rochester Rundown, we bring you the story of Igor’s remarkable life, in his own words and through his most recognizable experiences. Listen below or on your favorite streaming service.
Cover photo licensed via Getty
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