Video: A 13-year-old boy from Sumy grew a pumpkin weighing over 210 kg

Vladimir Oliinyk, a 13-year-old from Sumy, grew a pumpkin weighing 210 kg 700 g on his summer cottage plot and planned to set a national record. However, a review revealed that in 2025, the National Register of Records had already recorded a pumpkin weighing 252 kg.

 

Volodymyr ordered seeds of the “Atlantic Giant” variety. For the plant at the summer cottage, they prepared a 2.5-cubic-meter planting hole, which they filled with compost and fertilizer.

Throughout the season, the pumpkin was watered and fertilized regularly and intensively. The idea to grow a record-breaking pumpkin came to the young man several years ago, and he began actively working on it in 2025.

Even before weighing it, the student tried to calculate the pumpkin’s future weight using a special online calculator. The program takes into account the circumference, shape, and internal cavity of the fruit.

The pumpkin was cut from its vine and rolled onto certified scales. The result turned out to be significantly higher than Volodymyr had expected: he had assumed the pumpkin would weigh about 186 kg, but the scales showed 210 kg 700 g.

The weighing process was recorded on video and submitted to the National Register of Records of Ukraine.

Currently, Volodymyr’s result does not exceed the national record of 252 kg. The National Register also reported that the regional record is currently under review. If it is registered, the pumpkin could become a record for the Sumy region.

After weighing, the pumpkin was loaded into a car and taken away for storage.

Vladimir himself said that they plan to use the flesh for cooking or feed it to animals. He considers the seeds to be the most valuable part: he wants to keep some and will likely sell the rest.

Vladimir’s father said that his son’s passion for plants began at an early age. Among his first experiments were a date palm grown from a pit and a mandarin orange.

Source: Suspilne Sumy

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