Geologists stunned to find Siberian family isolated for 40 years with no awareness of World War II

In a world where it's hard to disconnect and avoid constant validation-seeking, one family's way of life seems almost unimaginable. Isolated from major historical events like World War II and the moon landing, this Russian family opted for a completely different existence, according to Smithsonian Magazine. Their story is a testament to the human instinct for survival in the face of extreme conditions.

Enduring harsh climatic conditions, the family of five, led by Karp Osipovich Lykov, lived in the remote Siberian taiga of northern Russia. Notably, the area, stretching hundreds of thousands of square kilometers from the Ural Mountains to the Pacific Ocean, mostly remained devoid of human habitation. Until a survey of the mineral-rich belt was ordered in 1978, which led to the shocking discovery amid freezing cold with temperatures dipping to −13 °F (−25 °C), per Bored Panda.

A Russian pilot was reportedly flying over the mountainous region scattered with sparse pine and birch woodlands. He came across the unexpected finding and later reported it to a team of senior geologists, per the magazine. Following this, all of them, including some scientists, flew to the contentious spot armed with weapons. However, they found Lykov's family, including his daughter Agafia, the only surviving member of the family to this day.

The discovery astonished the team. The mountain where the Lykovs were residing was more than 150 miles from the nearest settlement in an area they ever explored. Also, the Soviet authorities were unaware of anyone living in the district prior to the finding. The members of the Lykov family were found living inside a primitive wood cabin with a lifestyle reminiscent of seventeenth-century Russian peasants. They were dressed in rags, and to experts, it appeared like they had gone back to the reign of Tsar Peter the Great.

Years later, a well-known journalist, Vasily Peskov, visited the Lykov family. The journalist working for Pravda bonded well with the locals, further revealing his experiences in a book titled "Lost in the Taiga." According to Peskov, the Lykov family started living in the desolate forest after they were forced to leave their homes in Ukraine. They were part of a community of Russian Orthodox fundamentalists who managed to escape religious persecution after Peter the Great started reforming the Church.

"How they came here, how they survived, and how they ultimately prevailed in a climate of unimaginable adversity make for one of the most extraordinary human adventures of this century," Peskov wrote in his book published in the late 1990s. For the next two centuries, they resided in the heart of the "savage" beauty of the Siberian taiga until Stalin's campaign in the 1930s. Despite the onslaught from the Soviet forces, Lykov, along with his family, managed to thrive and moved to deeper regions of the hinterland.

They had been living alone for more than 50 years when Peskov first met them. They could only eat what they could hunt, gather, and build for themselves. It is a stark reminder for those who have yet to experience, or at least get a glimpse of, "survival of the fittest" in their lives. Following his first visit with the Lykov family, the Russian journalist was so inspired that he continued meeting them at least once every year for over a decade.