Grigorii Irmovich Novak

Novak, Grigorii Irmovich

 

Born Mar. 5, 1919, in Chernobyl’, Kiev Oblast. Soviet sportsman, weight lifter, and circus artist. Honored Master of Sports (1945). Honored Artist of the RSFSR (1969).

Novak was the first Soviet world champion (1946) and a ten-time weight-lifting champion of the USSR. More than 100 times he bettered world and all-Union records in the three standard lifts in weight-lifting competition (1939–52; various weight categories).

Novak has performed in the circus and on the variety stage (1933–36 and since 1953). He has received two orders and a number of medals.