Hermits in the taiga. Life of hermits in the taiga

In 1978, during the geological survey of the Sayan taiga, in the foothills of Altai, the pilots noticed a strange plot in the wild and remote forest, near the mountain river Erinat. It resembled a cultivated land with beds. Are people here so far from civilization? Later, a group of geologists who investigated this part of Sayan 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 recognized the existence of the Lykov family.

Family History

For 40 years the holy hermits, as their press dubbed them, were held in strict seclusion. Initially, the Lykovs lived in one of the settlements of Old Believers, which were not uncommon in remote places near the Abakan River. In the 1920s, Soviet power began to penetrate into remote corners of Siberia, and the head of the family, Karl Osipovich, decided to go further into the forest. At that time, the Lykov family consisted of 4 people. The husband was followed by Akulina's wife and two children - 11-year-old Savin and 4-year-old Natalia.

Simple belongings were loaded on a boat, which the family was dragging along the tributary of 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 way for 8 weeks. Two younger children - Dmitry and Agafia - were born already in isolation.

At first they did not hide from people, they lived without hiding. But in 1945 a patrol came to the rescue, pursuing deserters. This caused the family to go even further into the forest.

The reasons for the flight

What made the Lykovs flee and live like hermits in the taiga? In the 17th century, as a result of church reform in the Russian Orthodox Church, a split occurred. Patriarch Nikon, a hard and ambitious man, decided to unify the church rituals and bring them into line with Byzantine ones. However, Byzantium at that time had not existed for a long time, and the view of the patriarch was addressed to the Greeks, as 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 in the rituals were made. The traditional two-fingered sign, the singular hallelujah and the eight-pointed crucifixion, were recognized as God-forbidden, and people who refused to perform new rituals were anathema. The 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 one could preserve their beliefs and rites. The new Soviet power again began to oppress the Old Believers, and many went further from people.

Family composition

The Lykov family consisted of six people: Karp Osipovich with his wife Akulina Karpovna and their children - Savin, Natalia, Dmitry, Agafia. To date, only the youngest daughter has survived.

Hermits in the forest engaged in farming, fishing and hunting. Meat and fish were salted, harvested for the winter. The family maintained its customs, avoided contact with the outside world. Akulina taught children to read and write, Karp Osipovich kept a calendar. The holy hermits performed domestic worship services. Each member of the family had its place in a small community, its own character. We'll tell you a little more about each.

Karp Osipovich

A born leader. In the world he would be the chairman of the collective farm or the head of the factory. Strict, original, confident. To be the first, to be the head is its very essence. He led his small community and directed all its members with a firm hand.

In the turbulent 30-ies he made a difficult decision - to get away from people. The dense taiga did not frighten him. The man followed the peasant without a murmur followed by his wife and children. For them, Karp Osipovich was an unquestioned authority in everything. He spoke exactly how to pray properly, what and when to eat, how to work and treat each other. The children called him "my boy-in-law" and obeyed unquestioningly.

Karp Osipovich supported his position. He wore a high cap of kamus, his sons had headgear, similar to a monastic klobluk of canvas. Some kinds of work the father of the family did not do, completely believing them to other family members.

Even in old age the old man was cheerful. He actively communicated with visitors, was not afraid of the new. Without fear, he went into the helicopter, examined the radio and other things brought by geologists. He was interested in that "people have figured out". Having seen planes and moving stars (satellites), he did not doubt that these were inventions of the big world. In February 1988 Karp Osipovich died.

Akulina Karpovna

The Lykovs lived in the taiga for the rest of their lives, and the mother of the family left the world first. According to some reports, the woman was born in the Altai village of Bey. As a child, she learned to read and write. This knowledge she gave to her children. Wrote students on birch bark, instead of ink using the juice of honeysuckle, and instead of a handle - pointed wand.

What kind of woman was this, with the children in her arms going after her husband from the people? She had to endure many trials in order to preserve her faith. With shoulder to shoulder with Karp Osipovich, she pulled a boat with all her belongings to live like hermits of Siberia. She chopped down the forest, helped build the house, stubbed stumps, dug a cellar, caught fish and planted potatoes, followed the garden, the house. She made clothes for the whole family, stoked a stove and cooked food. The upbringing of four children lay on it.

Akulina Karpovna died in 1961 from exhaustion and overwork. On her deathbed, all her thoughts were about the fate of the children.

Dmitriy

The youngest of the sons. He was not fanatically religious, but he prayed like everyone else. His real love and home was the taiga. The secrets of nature fascinated him from childhood, he knew all the animals, their habits, paths. Growing up, began to catch animals. Before that, life in the taiga passed without warm hides and nutritious meat.

The hunter was astoundingly hardy. He could dig digging pits all day or pursue a deer, walked barefoot in the snow, slept in the winter in the taiga. The character of the guy was kind, peaceful. With relatives, he did not conflict, willingly took up any work. He worked with wood, birch bark, wove from brushwood.

In the camp of geologists Dmitry was a frequent and welcome guest. Particularly impressive was his sawmill - the work on which it was necessary to sit more than one day, on the machine was done in minutes.

In October 1981, the Lykov family reported in the camp that Dmitry was sick. According to the description, a physician present among the geologists realized that this is 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 could not tolerate indulgences. He was short, with a small beard, Savin was restrained and even arrogant.

He independently mastered the manufacture of leather elks and marals and was able to sew light boots for the whole family. Before that, the hermits of the Siberian taiga wore birchbark galoshes. Savin was proud and began to neglect small works, referring to the disease. This gave rise to tension in the family.

But the main conflict was different. Savin was religious up to fanaticism, demanding from household members the most careful observance of rituals, fasts, holidays. He raised the family to pray at night, read liturgical books and knew the Bible by heart.

As he grew up, Savin began to claim leadership in the family, began to teach and correct his aged father. This Karp Osipovich could not allow and resisted his son. The old man understood that because of the severity of his son all will not be easy.

In the village of geologists the eldest son strictly followed the household. He considered such an attachment to the world as sinful, constantly pulling back: "We can not do this!" Especially he blamed him for his interest in his younger brother, Dmitry.

After Dmitri's death, Savin went blind. The stomach illness has become aggravated. He needed to be treated, to drink herbs and lie down, but he obstinately went out with his household to dig potatoes. Then the early snow fell. Sister Natalia sat near the patient, tried to help, looked after. When Savin died, the woman said that she would also die of grief.

Natalia

Natalia and her younger sister were very similar. Natalia was the godfather Agafia. After the death of the mother, all female responsibilities fell on the eldest daughter, who struggled to replace the deceased brothers and sisters. She learned to weave and sew clothes. Her lot was to feed, sheathe, treat the family, save the world among the household. But they obeyed her badly, they did not seriously take into consideration that she was very upset by the woman.

At the funeral Savina Natalya fell down and left this world 10 days after the death of his brother. Her last words were addressed to her younger sister: "I'm sorry for you. One remains ... ».

Agafia

Barefoot, grimy, restless, with a strange stretched speech, she at first resembles a madman. But, having got used to the manner of communication, you understand that a woman is adequate and has not lost social skills. Her whole world consisted of a small section of the taiga.

A woman can fully serve herself, she can cook, sew, and work with an ax. She loves the taiga and her small vegetable garden.

Together with Dimitri Agafia went to the forest, caught marals, cut carcasses and dried 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 business was very important for believers, because thanks to the exact calendar, fasting was observed, celebrations were celebrated. When once there was confusion, all family members were very worried, restoring the calculation of time was the most important thing. The sharp memory of the young Agafia helped restore the course of events, and the calendar astounded the incoming geologists with their accuracy. The chronology was conducted according to the old custom, from Adam (from the creation of the world).

Life

The life of hermits in the taiga was held in a hut on the bank of the mountain tributary of the Erinat River, in a remote, wild place.

On animal trails digging trap pits, and then dried meat for the winter. Fish caught in the river, ate raw, baked at the stake and dried. Prepared berries, mushrooms and nuts.

In the garden they grew potatoes, barley, wheat, turnips, onions, peas. Weave cloth from cannabis to provide ourselves with clothing.

Hermits in the taiga arranged a well-designed farm. The vegetable garden was located on the slope of the mountain under a slope and was divided into three sections. Cultures were planted in accordance with their biological needs. Potatoes were not grown in one place for more than three years, so as not to deteriorate the crop. For the rest of the plants, alternation was established. Diseases did not threaten planting.

The preparation of the seeds was carefully monitored. Propagated them in a special area, the timing of sowing was strictly observed. Before planting, the potato tubers warmed up.

The success of farming can be confirmed by the fact that the potato variety that the family has grown for 50 years has not only not degenerated, but has also improved. In Lyche potato, 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 achieved success in truck farming. Leaves, cones, herbs were used for fertilizing spring and hemp, and for vegetables, ashes were kept. Diligence and knowledge helped survive the hermits.

Hermits in the taiga did without salt, to obtain fire used flint and baptized.

Fame

In 1982, several articles were written about the Lykovs in the newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda. The author of these materials, journalist Vasily Peskov, often visited the zaimk and presented his observations in the book "The Taiga Deadlock".

From the medical side, the family was watched by a doctor Nazarov Igor Pavlovich. He suggested that the cause of the death of young Lykovs was the lack of immunity to many modern viruses due to lack of contact with the outside world. This led to pneumonia. His impressions of the family visit, he set out in the book "Taiga hermits."

Agafia today

Despite the father's prohibition, Agafia undertakes a trip to civilization, but still returns to the taiga. In 1988, the youngest of the Lykov family remained alone. On its own it builds a new dwelling. In 1990, she tries to join the convent, but after a while passes back to her former life.

Today, the woman still lives 300 kilometers from the nearest housing. The authorities helped her to get a farm. Goat, chicken, dog and 9 cats now live on the zaim. Sometimes it is visited by geologists and brought the necessary things. The geologist Yerofei Sedoy has one of the first people who provided the family with a contact with civilization. Long relatives repeatedly suggested that a woman move to people, but she refused.

Other hermits

The case of the Lykov family is not unique. The family became famous because of the wide coverage in the press due to the visit of the journalist. Hermits in the taiga live for years, there are secret monasteries, hidden, where people live, who have left civilization at will. There are many in Siberia and remote villages that exist absolutely autonomously.