Lessons from a Hermit

Living alone, deep in the Sayan Mountains, Agafya Lykova is a window onto Russia’s past.

It isn’t often that Agafya Lykova receives visitors.

The handful of wooden huts and outbuildings that she calls home are 2,500 meters above sea level in Russia’s Sayan Mountains, nestled in a hanging valley between four precipitous peaks. The nearest settlement is 250 kilometers away, and only the hardiest hikers risk the trek.