The family went to the Old Believers Lykovy Sayan taiga in 1938 and forty years was hidden from civilization. In 1978 Lykovs met with geologists and gradually began kontachit with people. Now the family to live there was only Agatha. She was 68 years old. Since 2001, the neighborhood homestead Lykovy the decision of the Government of Russia became one of the sections of the reserve "Khakassia". Reserve inspector regularly visit the taiga hermits. At the beginning of the summer helped to sow vegetable garden, now preparing firewood for the winter. Abaza get from a mountain river Abakan two days on the inspector's first hovercraft, and then on a wooden boat with a motor up to the upper reaches of the river. The last kilometers to the mouth Erinata where the zaimka, walked under the backpacks. First, on the shore Erinata we approached the hut Yerofei Sazontevicha Sedov, a former geologist, drilling foreman, who once took an active part in the life of the family Lykov. Having lost sixteen years ago his leg, he settled near Luikov.

Agafya Karpovna caught in prayer. Work on that day she forbade us - on August Church honors of the prophet Elijah. There is nothing brought us the food is gone, but sat with us a good talk. Has gifts - rubber boots, socks, dry and fresh fruits. All are meticulously inspected, that there was no bar code. Found the bar code on the matches and returned them back. It turns out that so far it has produced fire by ancient way of tinder and Kresalo. In the summer recluse does not live in a hut, and in this farce of beds, sleeping on the ground postelennuyu matting, covering with a blanket. Almost all the next day, we were engaged in logging and weeding gardens.
Special friendship with Agafi Karpovna with warden of the reserve Sergey Fedorovich Khlebnikov. She gave him a souvenir made by hand belt. When we went to the left down the river boat, the owner tried to give us a sack of potatoes. I had to take a few potatoes. In the photo next to a hermit my countryman, the inspector Khakassian Reserve Alexander Oskin. Only twenty hours Zaimka managed to hold on, and it's a short time provided fodder for many reflections on the distant and recent past, the meaning of life, the power of the human spirit, faith. No, I do not feel that life Agafi Karpovna - taiga dead end.