They Survived 42 Years of Solitude: The Only Family in the 20th Century Who Didn’t Know About World War II .m

In 1978, as the world was struggling with the space race and modern technology, a group of Soviet geologists discovered something almost unbelievable: a family still living in 1936. Deep in the cold Siberian taiga, far from any trace of civilization, they found the Lykov family – who had isolated themselves for 42 years and became living witnesses to a haunting rift in time.

1. The Runaway Journey: When Faith Is Bigger Than the World
The story begins in 1936, when Stalin’s religious purges were reaching their peak. Karp Lykov, a follower of the Old Believers – a persecuted branch of Russian Orthodoxy – made a life-or-death decision: to leave everything behind and flee.

With their wives and two small children, they traveled deep into the Sayan Mountains, more than 240km from the nearest human settlement. This was not a hunting trip, but an exodus into absolute oblivion. They built a simple wooden hut, without nails or metal. Their tools were primitive ingenuity, their clothing was made of hemp, and their staple food was homegrown potatoes and rye.

They fled Stalin’s regime, but survived thanks to a discipline even harsher than that of the Soviet Union.

2. A Shocking Encounter: The 18th Century Meets the 20th
When geologists discovered them in 1978, the contrast was shocking. The Lykovs had two more children born entirely in the forest, who had never seen a stranger or tasted a piece of bread.

But what left scientists speechless was the lack of information about them. The Lykov family, especially the younger members, were completely unaware of global historical events.

They had no idea that World War II (1939-1945) had occurred. Tens of millions of people died, the world map had changed, but in that wooden hut, time seemed to have stood still.

They were stunned beyond belief when they were told that humans had landed on the Moon.

The Lykov family’s isolation exposed a terrifying flaw in human perception: The world may have changed so much, but without connection, it would not exist.

3. Lessons on Survival and the Price of Civilization
The Lykov family demonstrated the incredible ability of humans to survive, overcoming harsh nature without any technology. But the return to the “modern world” came at a high price.

Once discovered, exposure to bacteria and aliens sickened the family members. Four of the six died within a few years. It was a heartbreaking tragedy, raising the question: Is our vaunted “civilization” really a salvation, or is it just a deadly pathogen for those who have lived too long in purity?

To this day, only Agafia Lykova (the youngest daughter, born in the forest) survives, and she still stubbornly lives in the family’s hut in Siberia.

The Lykov family’s story is a powerful reminder: Sometimes, to protect what you believe in, you have to erase yourself from history – and pay a high price for that isolation.

What do you think of the Lykov family’s choice? Was their survival worth the loss of 42 years of world history?