The Family That Tried To Escape History

The Family That Tried To Escape History

In 1978, a team of Soviet geologists working deep in the Siberian taiga came across something they never expected to see: a house. As it turned out, they had stumbled on a family that had lived in complete isolation for decades – they weren’t even aware of World War Two.

Sophie Pinkham, author of the new book “The Oak and the Larch: A Forest History of Russia and Its Empires,” tells us the story of the Lykov family and what drove them into the forest.

Check out Sophie’s book about how Russia’s vast forests have shaped its history and culture: https://wwnorton.com/books/9781324036685
There’s also Sophie’s longread about the Lykovs in The Guardian, adapted from her book: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/22/forty-years-in-the-siberian-wilderness-the-old-believers-who-time-forgot

We always want to hear from you! If you have a question or story for us, give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message, or send an email to hello@atlasobscura.com.


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(1334)

Deadly Beard

Deadly Beard

For one sixteenth century Austrian mayor, a long, luscious beard was both his claim to fame – and the cause of his downfall.  Read more about Hans Steininger and his deadly beard: https://www.atlasobs...

31 Mar 14min

The Farewell Spit

The Farewell Spit

Daren Grover was on vacation near the top of New Zealand’s South Island when he got a call: some whales needed help. Hundreds of them had stranded on a spot so notorious for whale strandings, it’s cau...

30 Mar 14min

Exotic Feline Rescue Center (Classic)

Exotic Feline Rescue Center (Classic)

Long before Joe Exotic got the country talking about big cats, there was Joe Taft – regular guy – who began raising and rescuing these types of felines in Indiana.  MORE: https://www.atlasobscura.com/...

27 Mar 12min

Alone on the Alaskan Frontier

Alone on the Alaskan Frontier

What drives a person to live in isolation? Meet Sue Aikens, who thrives in the icy expanse of the Arctic. She shares stories of survival, self-discovery, and the wild encounters that continue to shape...

26 Mar 28min

Meet the Man Visiting 800 Museums in LA

Meet the Man Visiting 800 Museums in LA

Todd Lerew has spent a decade visiting every single museum in Los Angeles. He chronicled his journey in his book Also on View: Unique and Unexpected Museums of Greater Los Angeles.  Check out Todd’s m...

25 Mar 18min

Alice Austen House

Alice Austen House

In the 1950s, a journalist doing archival research at the Staten Island Historical Society came across a collection of images that stopped him in his tracks. These photos featured women from the 1890s...

24 Mar 18min

The Barbican

The Barbican

You may have heard the phrase 'third place' being used more often as the world started opening up post-pandemic. People were craving somewhere that was neither their home or work, but still a place to...

23 Mar 12min

Tell Us: What Rules Have You Broken?

Tell Us: What Rules Have You Broken?

We wanna hear your stories about the times you’ve accidentally broken the rules somewhere foreign to you.  Maybe you went into a temple with your shoes on, when you weren’t supposed to. Maybe you had ...

21 Mar 1min

Populært innen Samfunn

rss-spartsklubben
giver-og-gjengen-vg
aftenpodden
aftenpodden-usa
rss-nesten-hele-uka-med-lepperod
konspirasjonspodden
alt-fortalt
popradet
rss-henlagt-andy-larsgaard
wolfgang-wee-uncut
grenselos
lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
rss-espen-lee-usensurert
min-barneoppdragelse
synnve-og-vanessa
rss-dannet-uten-piano
rss-dette-ma-aldri-skje-igjen
bokmerket-2
fladseth
frokostshowet-pa-p5