In 1978, during a geological overflight of the Sayan taiga, in the foothills of Altai, pilots noticed a strange site in a wild and dense forest, near the mountain river Erinat. It looked like cultivated land with beds. Do people really live here, so far from civilization? Later, a group of geologists who explored this part of the Sayans discovered the Lykovs.
In the press, the first reports of the discovery of a family of hermits appeared in 1980. This was told by the newspaper "Socialist Industry", later - "Krasnoyarsk Worker". And in 1982, a series of articles describing life in the taiga appeared in Komsomolskaya Pravda. The entire Soviet Union learned about the existence of the Lykov Family.
Family History
The holy hermits, as the press dubbed them, spent 40 years in strict seclusion. At first, the Lykovs lived in one of the Old Believer settlements, which were not uncommon in remote places near the Abakan River. In the 1920s, Soviet power began to penetrate into the remote corners of Siberia, and the head of the family, Karl Osipovich, decided to go even further into the forest. The Lykov family at that time consisted of 4 people. The husband was followed by his wife Akulina and two children - 11-year-old Savin and4-year-old Natalia.
The simple belongings were loaded onto a boat, which the family dragged along the tributary of the Abakan, Erinat, with the help of ropes, like barge haulers. The fugitives were so eager to get away from the hostile world that they did not stop their journey for 8 weeks. The two youngest children, Dmitry and Agafya, were born in isolation.
The first time they did not hide from people, they lived without hiding. But in 1945, a patrol came to the zaimka, chasing deserters. This made the family go even further into the forest.
Reasons for flight
What made the Lykovs flee and live like hermits in the taiga? In the 17th century, as a result of church reform, a split occurred in the Russian Orthodox Church. Patriarch Nikon, a tough and ambitious man, decided to unify church rituals and bring them into line with Byzantine ones. However, Byzantium at that time did not exist for a long time, and the patriarch's gaze was turned to the Greeks, as to the direct heirs of ancient culture. The Greek Church at that time underwent numerous changes under Turkish influence.
As a result of the reform, significant changes were made in the rituals. The traditional two-fingered sign, the august hallelujah and the eight-pointed crucifix were recognized as ungodly, and people who refused the new rites were anathematized. A widespread persecution of the Old Believers began. As a result of these persecutions, many fled away from the authorities and organized their own settlements, where they could preserve their beliefs and rituals. The new Soviet government again began to oppress the Old Believers, and many went even further away from the people.
Family Composition
The Lykov family consisted of six people: Karp Osipovich with his wife Akulina Karpovna and their children Savin, Natalia, Dmitry, Agafya. To date, only the youngest daughter has survived.
The hermits in the forest farmed, fished and hunted. Meat and fish were s alted and prepared for the winter. The family kept their customs, avoided contact with the outside world. Akulina taught the children to read and write, Karp Osipovich kept a calendar. The holy hermits performed domestic services. Each family member had his own place in the small community, his own character. Let's talk a little more about each.
Karp Osipovich
A born leader. In the world, he would have been the chairman of a collective farm or the head of a factory. Strict, independent, confident. To be the first, to be the head is its very essence. He led his small community and guided all its members with a firm hand.
In the turbulent 1930s, he made the difficult decision to leave the people. The deaf taiga did not frighten him. The husband and children meekly followed the peasant. For them, Karp Osipovich was an indisputable authority in everything. It was he who told how to pray correctly, what and when to eat, how to work and treat each other. The children called him "Auntie" and obeyed unquestioningly.
Karp Osipovich supported his position. He wore a high hat made of kamus, while his sons had headdresses similar to a monastic klobluk made of linen. The father of the family did not perform some types of work, completely relying on other family members.
Even in old agethe old man was cheerful. He actively communicated with visitors, was not afraid of the new. Without fear, I entered the helicopter, examined the radio and other things brought by geologists. He was interested in what "people invented." Seeing airplanes and moving stars (satellites), he had no doubt that these were inventions of the big world. In February 1988, Karp Osipovich died.
Akulina Karpovna
The Lykovs lived in the taiga all their lives, and the mother of the family was the first to leave this world. According to some reports, the woman was born in the Altai village of Bei. As a child, she learned to read and write. She passed this knowledge on to her children. The students wrote on birch bark, using honeysuckle juice instead of ink, and a pointed stick instead of a pen.
What was this woman, with children in her arms, following her husband away from people? She had to endure many trials to keep her faith. Shoulder to shoulder with Karp Osipovich, she pulled the boat with all her possessions in order to live like the hermits of Siberia. She cut wood, helped build a house, uproot stumps, dig a cellar, caught fish and planted potatoes, looked after the garden, the house. She made clothes for the whole family, stoked the stove and cooked food. She was responsible for raising four children.
Akulina Karpovna died in 1961 from exhaustion and overwork. On her deathbed, all her thoughts were about the fate of the children.
Dmitry
The youngest of the sons. He was not fanatically religious, but he prayed like everyone else. Taiga was his real love and home. The secrets of nature from childhood fascinated him, he knew all the animals, their habits,trails. Growing up, he began to catch animals. Before that, life in the taiga passed without warm skins and nutritious meat.
Hunter was amazingly hardy. He could dig trapping pits all day or chase deer, walk barefoot in the snow, spend the night in the taiga in winter. The character of the guy was kind, peaceful. He did not conflict with his relatives, willingly took up any work. He worked with wood, birch bark, weaved brushwood.
Dmitry was a frequent and welcome guest at the camp of geologists. His sawmill was especially impressive - work that had to be done for more than one day was done on the machine in minutes.
In October 1981, the Lykov family reported in the camp that Dmitry was ill. According to the description, a physician present among the geologists understood that it was pneumonia, and offered help. However, the hermits refused. When the family returned home, Dmitry was no longer breathing. He died alone on the floor of a tiny shack.
Savin
The eldest son was religious and strict. He was a tough man who did not tolerate indulgences. Short in stature, with a small beard, Savin was restrained and even arrogant.
He independently mastered the dressing of elk and deer skins and was able to sew light boots for the whole family. Prior to this, the hermits of the Siberian taiga wore birch bark galoshes. Savin became proud and began to neglect small works, citing illness. This created tension in the family.
But the main conflict was different. Savin was religious to the point of fanaticism, demanding from the household the most careful observance of rituals, fasts, and holidays. He raised his family to pray at night, read liturgical booksand knew the Bible by heart.
As he grew older, Savin began to claim leadership in the family, began to teach and correct his aged father. Karp Osipovich could not allow this and opposed his son. The old man understood that because of the severity of his son, everyone would have a hard time.
In the settlement of geologists, the eldest son strictly followed the household. He considered such communion with the world to be sinful, he constantly rebuked: “We can’t do this!” He especially blamed his younger brother, Dmitry, for his interest in the new.
After the death of Dmitry Savin fell ill. Exacerbated abdominal pain. He needed to be treated, drink herbs and lie down, but he stubbornly went out with his household to dig potatoes. Then early snow fell. Sister Natalia sat next to the patient, tried to help, looked after. When Savin died, the woman said she would also die of grief.
Natalia
Natalia and her younger sister were very similar. Natalia was Agafya's godmother. After the death of her mother, all women's duties fell on the eldest daughter, who struggled to replace the deceased brothers and sisters. She learned to weave and sew clothes. Her destiny was to feed, sheathe, heal the family, keep peace among the household. But they obeyed her badly, they didn’t take her seriously, which made the woman very upset.
At Savin's funeral, Natalia collapsed and left this world 10 days after her brother's death. Her last words were addressed to her younger sister: “I feel sorry for you. You remain alone…”.
Agafya
Barefoot, grimy, restless, with a strange drawn-out speech, she at first remindscrazy. But, getting used to the manner of communication, you understand that a woman is adequate and has not lost her social skills. Her whole world consisted of a small part of the taiga. A woman can fully serve herself, knows how to cook, sew, work with an axe. She loves the taiga and her little garden.
Together with Dmitry Agafya went to the forest, caught deer, butchered carcasses and dried the meat. She knows the habits of animals, edible and medicinal herbs.
As the youngest, with a sharp memory, she helped Savin count the days. This matter was very important for believers, because thanks to the accurate calendar, fasting was observed, holidays were celebrated. When confusion arose one day, all family members were very worried, restoring the calculation of time was the most important thing. The sharp memory of young Agafia helped to restore the course of events, and the calendar struck the geologists who came with its accuracy. The chronology was carried out according to the old custom, from Adam (from the creation of the world).
Life
The life of hermits in the taiga took place in a hut on the bank of a mountain tributary of the Erinat River, in a remote, wild place.
Trap pits were dug on the animal trails, and then the meat was dried for the winter. Fish caught in the river were eaten raw, baked on a fire and dried. They harvested berries, mushrooms and nuts.
Potatoes, barley, wheat, turnips, onions, peas were grown in the garden. They wove fabrics from hemp to provide themselves with clothes.
The hermits in the taiga set up a well-thought-out economy. The garden was located on the slope of the mountain and was divided into three sections. The crops were planted according to their biological needs. Potatoes were not grown in one place for more than three years, so that the crop would not deteriorate. For the rest of the plants, alternation was established. Plantings were not threatened by diseases.
The seed preparation was carefully monitored. They were propagated in a special area, the sowing dates were strictly observed. Potato tubers were warmed up before planting.
The success of farming can be confirmed by the fact that the variety of potatoes that the family has been growing for 50 years has not only not degenerated, but has improved. Lykovsky potatoes have a high content of starch and dry matter.
Knowing nothing about chemistry and biology, fertilizing the land according to the tradition of the last century, the Lykovs have achieved success in gardening. Leaves, cones, herbs were used to fertilize spring crops and hemp, and ash was stored for vegetables. Diligence and knowledge helped hermits to survive.
The hermits in the taiga did without s alt, they used flint and flint to make fire.
Fame
In 1982, several articles were written about the Lykovs in the Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper. The author of these materials, journalist Vasily Peskov, often visited the Zaimka and presented his observations in the book "Taiga Dead End".
From the medical point of view, the doctor Nazarov Igor Pavlovich observed the family. He suggested that the cause of death of the young Lykovs was the lack of immunity to many modern viruses due to lack of contact with the outside world. This led to pneumonia. He described his impressions of visiting his family in the book "Taiga Hermits".
Agafya today
Despite her father's ban, Agafya makes a trip to civilization, but still returns to the taiga. In 1988, the youngest of the Lykov family was left alone. On her own, she builds a new home for herself. In 1990, she tries to join the convent, but after some time she returns to her former life.
Today, a woman still lives 300 kilometers from the nearest dwelling. The authorities helped her get a farm. Goats, chickens, a dog and 9 cats now live in the zaimka. Sometimes geologists visit it and bring the necessary things. The Old Believer also has a neighbor - the geologist Yerofey Sedoy, one of the first people who provided the family with contact with civilization. Distant relatives repeatedly offered the woman to move in with the people, but she refused.
Other hermits
The case of the Lykov family is not unique. The family became famous due to extensive press coverage thanks to a visit from a journalist. Hermits live in the taiga for years, there are secret monasteries, hiding places, where people live who have left civilization at their own request. There are many in Siberia and remote villages that exist absolutely autonomously.
