Agafya Lykova found after a week of silence: the cause was a faulty satellite phone

A week of silence and a helicopter with rescuers

In Khakassia, a search operation has concluded, prompted by a week of silence from 81-year-old hermit Agafya Lykova. Her spiritual father, priest Igor Mylnikov, reported the happy outcome: according to him, “she called today, the connection was excellent, we had a talk with her”. The alarm was raised not only because of the radio silence, but also because of increasing bear activity near her homestead — one of the predators repeatedly approached her dwelling. A helicopter with a rescue team was sent into the taiga; philanthropist Ali Uzdenov helped arrange the flight, and representatives of the nature reserve provided support. The expedition found Lykova alive and well.

A technical cause and a problem with the helper

The silence turned out to be caused by a malfunction: Viktor Nepomnyashchy, director of the Khakassky nature reserve, reported that the wire of the satellite phone had oxidized. Specialists repaired the device and restored communications — the hermit has no other means of contact with the outside world. The expedition also revealed something else: ahead of winter, Lykova has once again been left without a permanent helper — deacon Georgy Danilov, who had lived at the homestead for several months, returned to the mainland. Her spiritual father is looking for a new candidate: physically hardy, ready for the harsh taiga conditions, and sharing the Old Believer faith.

Bears near the homestead

The grounds for concern were real. In October, Lykova complained about the unusual activity of animals that had ransacked the ranger station on the Koitra River: one particularly large bear stayed near the house for more than a month, and the woman and her helper went out into the yard with special caution. Back in early September, she had a dangerous encounter — a bear charged at her on a hillside and stopped about 20 meters away, allowing the hermit to take shelter in her hut. At the time, the reserve's management sent documents to take measures regarding the animal; the beast was driven away with noise devices, but it continued to hide nearby. Twice a year, the hermit is brought noise-making firecrackers to scare off wild animals — she jokingly calls her stock “tricorn hats.” Earlier, a bear also carried off her dog.

Who is Agafya Lykova

Agafya Lykova is the last surviving member of a family of Old Believers who lived in complete isolation in the Western Sayan Mountains from 1937. Her homestead was accidentally discovered by geologists in 1978. After the deaths of her brothers, sister, and father, Agafya Karpovna continued to live in a hut deep in the taiga on the territory of the Khakassky nature reserve, maintaining her family's traditional way of life. Her homestead has five goats, chickens, and numerous cats.