At all times there have been people who prefer a life of seclusion. The reasons for this are different: religious, ideological or related to the character of a person. And the more civilization captures the planet, the more such loners become. What pushes a modern person to flee, why is this topic so interesting to him, since it is widely reflected in art, literature and cinema?
The hermit - the meaning of the word
It originally had religious roots. A hermit was a person who refused to communicate with people and from contacts with the outside world. In the outdated sense of the word, a hermit is an ascetic, a monk who renounced worldly fuss for religious reasons.
HERMIT, hermit, husband. (book). A monk who refused to communicate with people, an ascetic, a hermit. Explanatory Dictionary of Ushakov. D. N. Ushakov. 1935-1940.
HERMIT (male female) - living in solitude, apart from a residential or populated place, by itself, for the sake of saving the soul; hermit, desert dwellervain world into the desert. Dahl's Explanatory Dictionary.
Synonyms for this meaning are: hermit, silencer, ascetic, caveman, hermit, hermit, elder, schemnik.
In a figurative, more commonly used meaning now, a hermit is a person who leads a more solitary lifestyle than other people, preferring loneliness. Synonyms can be such words: loner, savage, unsociable.
Famous hermits of Russia
The Lykov family is considered the most famous people among Russian hermits. These are the Old Believers who went into the forest back in the 30s, during the Soviet era, which they perceived as the coming of the Antichrist. Now only Agafya Lykova remains from the family, who still lives in the forest.
But hundreds of families and singles prefer to live in seclusion not only for religious, but also for ethical, spiritual, ideological reasons.
Such, for example, was the head of the Antipin family. These people led a very ascetic, on the verge of survival, lifestyle, not even bothering to build good housing. So they lived for 20 years, starting in 1982. Then his wife Anna, tired of constant malnutrition, left with four children against the will of her husband to live in the village. Viktor remained in the taiga and died of starvation a year later.
Another famous hermit family is Alexander Gordienko and Regina Kuleshaite. They also lived in the taiga for over 20 years. It is surprising that these people began to live in solitude separately from each other, and met already inforest. The couple has two kids. Regina eventually left with the children for the big world, her husband was left to live alone.
These are isolated examples, but in fact, hundreds and thousands of people around the world are changing the benefits of civilization for a secluded life far from everyone. Perhaps this is an animal, a natural desire to preserve human survival skills in the wild. Or the rejection of a “fake” life, in which the person means so little, and the system means so much.
Reclusion in art
Russian photographer Danila Tkachenko took a series of photographs of people leading a reclusive lifestyle. These photos are presented in the article.
The topic of survival is interesting not only for those who decide to live in harmony with nature. Survival shows are very popular these days. For example, "Naked and Scared", "Survive the Forest", "Robinsons".
A lot of feature films and documentaries are made about hermits. Of the artistic ones, one can name: “Captain Fantastic” (2016), “In the Wild” (2007), “Wild” (2014). From the documentaries: “Lost in the Taiga”, “Taiga Hermits”, “Hermits. Hide and Seek.”
