“The bear came”: Agafia Lykova’s friend told about the life of a hermit

Ali Uzdenov told how the 81-year-old hermit feels, why a novice left her, who visits her in the taiga and whether she is ready to return to life among people.

- Ali Mussaevich, Agafia hasn't been in touch for ten days. What do you think?

The thing is, she has a satellite phone that we once helped install. She usually got in touch every other day. And there's ten days of silence. Of course we were worried. There are still bears, and in general she lives in harsh conditions. We equipped a helicopter, took an Old Believer priest, her confessor, who could commune with her. But thank God it's okay. Agafia is alive, healthy, in a good mood. It's already snowed. Turns out the antenna just broke, so there was no communication. The guys fixed it.

When she calls you every other day, what does she usually tell you?

- Talking about his business. For example, snow fell, a bear came yesterday, she drove him away. Or the chickens were born. She recently had chickens. In the spring, when the weather permits, the rangers rise to her, we also learn something from them. But she's already used to the phone. And before, when there was no contact, I had to send someone to her once a month. I flew myself to check on her.

- Agafia Karpovna is 81. How's she feeling?

She's a bright person, always positive. Pray, work, live simple things.

Is she interested in what's going on in the world?

- Sometimes he does. But she has her own view of it all.

What can be the view of the world of a person who has lived so long away from people?

She lives with nature in prayer. It seems to me that her soul is in a positive resonance with the surrounding world.

She probably doesn’t care what happens outside the taiga?

- Not that it doesn't matter. She just has her own understanding. As she says, it's God's will.

Happy man, you can't say anything.

- Happy.

There was information that a novice lived with Agafia, but they allegedly had a conflict and he left. What happened?

- There was no conflict. It’s just very difficult living conditions, harsh. He must have needed a break. He has been living with her for several years.

Is this man specifically sent to help Agafia?

- Not exactly. He is also an Old Believer, who received the blessing of the Old Believer rector. Helps her with the housework: cuts wood, carries water. In general, to understand these people, you need to read Old Believers books, live there.

- Did you understand Agafia?

- I think I understand some of it.

- Is she a complicated person?

- No, it's not complicated. I would say that it is high in its simplicity. A very open man.

- Would she be able to get along with someone if she was hooked up on a permanent basis?

- I think you could.

- Agafia was upset that the novice had left?

Nope.

So she doesn't care if someone's around or not?

- That's not the point. You have to understand what kind of life she lived. How many years I've been alone. What seems surprising and difficult to us is an ordinary life for her. She is used to doing everything herself, using the skills her parents taught her.

When people come to her, is she happy?

- Of course. But she also chooses who she likes to talk to. Sometimes tourists come here in the summer.

So not all the guests are nice to her?

- Well, not that unpleasant. Not everyone comes with a desire to help, to help, to work.

- Some come just out of curiosity?

- Not that they just come. It's really hard to get there. Walk for a week or ten days, or even two weeks. It's not easy to get there.

Have you ever asked Agafya to move closer to people for the winter?

- She's had that experience before. Especially when she was left alone, after the death of her father, and then her friend Erotheus, who lived nearby, died. But she decided to come back. She likes the taiga dead end.

- Is she asking me to bring anything? Maybe sweets, food, some household items.

Nope. She does things herself. From the food we bring fruits, what she does not grow there. She catches fish herself, grows potatoes herself, bakes bread herself, milks goats herself.

- If she gets sick, how is she treated?

- She probably has herbs, berries. Whenever possible, we send a female doctor to see her. They even became friends. So it's okay.

- Agafya can be offended, angry with someone?

She's kind, smiling, joking in her own way. Her eyes are alive like a young one.

- She doesn't ask me to bring her newspapers to see what's going on outside the taiga?

- No, she says prayers. He learns something from conversations. He lives in his own world. But she has a wonderful memory. She remembers all her relatives, even those who went to other countries. Her relatives live in Bolivia. She knows about them, they're texting. By the way, Agafya has beautiful handwriting, beautiful, clear. Her mother taught me how to write. She sends letters through us.

Has she never complained about loneliness, boredom, lack of communication?

She's an old believer, she prays a lot. People like that don't take things outside. She didn't discuss it with us.

But Old Believers often live in communities. There is still communication, people around. She has no one.

- Well, she has letters. And people come to her after all.

If one day Agafya says: I am tired, I can no longer live alone, I want to go to people. You'll probably arrange for her to move. Do you think she could get used to normal life?

It seems to me that outside this beautiful gorge where she lives, a lot of things don't fit her perspective on life. It is necessary to speak only the truth, one must be able to work, not to deceive, to be sincere. There's so much else in our lives. She's very demanding. May God give her a hundred years or more. She's a unique woman. You just have to see her, talk to her.

Did she ever talk about where she wanted to be buried?

- She's still alive. She's in great shape. Maybe she has her own thoughts and wishes. In the taiga are the graves of her parents and brothers.