A fascinating documentary sheds light on an elderly Russian couple who have been living alone in an abandoned village, with animals as their only companions.
In the short film uploaded to YouTube by Patruschves, the unnamed man and woman, aged 75 and 82 respectively, welcome viewers into their country home which is located in a remote western territory known as Bashkortostan.
While roaming through the unkempt fields, the lady explains that all of the residents died ‘or they left our beautiful village’ and now she and her husband are the sole residents.
Keeping them company are a number of animals, with their most recent addition being a cow called Daughter.
A fascinating documentary sheds light on an elderly Russian couple who have been living alone in an abandoned village, with animals as their only companions
In the short film uploaded to YouTube by Patruschves, the unnamed man and woman, aged 75 and 82 respectively, welcome viewers into their country home
While roaming through the unkempt fields, the lady explains that all of the residents died ‘or they left out beautiful village’ and now she and her husband are the sole residents
Keeping them company are a number of animals, with their most recent addition being a cow called Daughter
The man explains that he got the heifer for his wife because she ‘can’t live without milk’ and he ‘always supports her.’
But he says later in the short film that he’s not a fan of Daughter as she is ‘too shy’ and would ideally like to get rid of her.
He also got some chicks for his wife and at one point in the film, the fluffy yellow birds can be seen running riot around their dimly-lit kitchen.
A cat, some pigs and a cockerel are among the other animals to feature in the film.
The lady says with a big smile on her face: ‘I can’t live without animals. They give me energy!’
Along with animals, the woman says nature gives her comfort.
As all of her family have gone, she says she likes to hug a birch tree by the house ‘instead of my brothers.’
She explains that her brother Nikolay planted the tree ‘many years ago.’
The couple have many animals on their property including pigs and chickens
The woman says that in the summer some people visit the area but ‘most of the year we are alone here’
The couple, who have been married for 36 years, still seem to be very active and in one scene, the man performs a dance much to his wife’s amusement
The woman says that in the summer some people visit the area but ‘most of the year we are alone here.’
He apparently had three houses in the village at one point but ‘now everything is gone.’
‘My brothers died, they had no kids, nobody. All houses in a village are demolished,’ she continues.
Drone footage of the abandoned village shows that it is surrounded by farmland, with no tarmacked roads in view.
Despite the isolated conditions, the pensioner says she loves living in the countryside and ‘hates’ the city.
‘While I can walk, I don’t want to leave this place,’ she confirms.
It is not clear what they will do later in life but they reveal that they do have an apartment in the city if needs be.
The couple, who have been married for 36 years, still seem to be very active and in one scene, the man performs a dance much to his wife’s amusement.
The man says he gets up at 5am and goes out to chop wood for the fire inside their house
She explains: ‘We are not scared to live here… we have dogs to protect us from wild animals’
To date the short film has been watched more than 2,000 times with many viewers applauding the couple for their simple way of life
The man and woman live in a remote western territory known as Bashkortostan
Detailing their typical daily routine, he says he gets up at 5am and goes out to chop wood for the fire inside their house.
When he returns, his wife ‘sets the fire in the stove.’
As there is no mains water, he must also go out and fetch some from the well for cooking, cleaning and washing.
Other jobs around the home include cutting hay and tending to the animals.
Quizzed about if she feels unsafe living in a remote place the woman says ‘no.’
She explains: ‘We are not scared to live here. We have dogs to protect us from wild animals.
‘And we don’t have money, [so] who needs to rob or to kill us?’
To date the short film has been watched more than 2,000 times with many viewers applauding the couple for maintaining a simple way of life.
One commenter said: ‘I love this couple! They are wonderful, they love each other and so they overcome everything, even loneliness.
‘They have everything they need to live even though they could leave there. They are to be admired.’
Another viewer mused: ‘That’s living in heaven to be surrounded by all those beautiful animals. What a beautiful couple.’
Robert Johnson is a UK-based business writer specializing in finance and entrepreneurship. With an eye for market trends and a keen interest in the corporate world, he offers readers valuable insights into business developments.
