Agafia Lycova and My Siberian Dream
Donation protected
My name is Kevin Leland. I heard a calling to help Agafia Lykova, and for over 2 years I've been planning for, and training for, life in Siberia. I’ve developed some interesting ideas, most of them discovered by pure serendipity, that will make this endeavor a serious attempt at a Russian “Rags to Riches” story, in the ranching industry. But if it falls short of that, it will still be a story of friendship and kindness and faith in action, and trust in God. And that gets us treasure in Heaven.
Agafia is the last member of the Lykov family. In 1936, religious persecution drove this family deep into the taiga of the Western Sayan mountains. Karp Lykov drew a warm bath into a hollowed out pine tub. He then lowered his wife into the bath and helped deliver their 4th and youngest child, Agafia, into the Siberian wilderness on April 16th, 1944.

Although she has sustained herself successfully for many decades, some of which were in solitude after her last family member passed in 1988, she finally requested help in 2014, complaining that her health was waning. Please read a copy of her letter, with translation, featured in The Siberian Times:

I want to help Agafia.
The first phase of my mission to help Agafia will be to build a 200 kilometer ATV trail along the river that is currently the only way to reach her. This 5 day boat trip upstream in shallow water is grueling and I salute those who have braved these hard conditions to bring Agafia life-sustaining help and supplies.
I’ve learned that breeding livestock is in high demand, and is being imported from other countries into Russia. This is not against any sanctions or counter sanctions at this time. I plan to collect livestock in North America, and transport these animals, and myself, to Abakan, then Abaza, then walk them along the river to Agafia’s homestead, as I survey, map, and plan the ATV trail ~like a true Siberian Cowboy!
Instone, USA is a company that loads livestock into a 747 Airplane and transports them quickly and safely by air to places like Kazakstan. There are also many huge livestock carrier ships that transport livestock from Australia and the USA, to Russia by sea. This takes much longer, about three weeks, but the animals are fed and watered and well cared for on the journey.
This trip will be expensive, but the value of the breeding livestock will be greater, directly proportional to the cost of purchasing them and transporting them to Agafia’s homestead. And, as long as I can successfully tend to them, and move them, and graze them, etc., like a good Siberian Cowboy, they will be increasing in value with every day they mature, and every year they reproduce.
A good, used, shovel-dozer to clear and grub, and grade the ATV trail is a required piece of equipment. I need it to go ahead of the animals, as I move them out to Agafia's homestead. Then, this machine will be very helpful when I scale up Agafia’s fishing and farming enterprises with more livestock and shelter for them, larger vegetable gardens, hoop houses to extend growing times, a cheese cave, and facilities to process other foods and supplies, specialty foods and other merchandise produced on our ranch to sell and trade.
I have over 20 years experience in construction, and have planned, estimated and completed projects of this type and scale or larger and I am confident that building this ATV trail and developing Agafia’s homestead, will not only be feasible, but also fun. I’ve also enjoyed working in the commercial fishing industry, and have done some ranching work.
I welcome anyone with a strong back, and the same sense for fun and adventure with a humanitarian purpose, to contact me. This is a dream I want to share, and the “strength in numbers” philosophy applies. Let’s build a little ranching community around Agafia. Let’s build a team to share the work and the fruits of it.
We can improve her homestead, and entertain visitors, helpers, pilgrims, friends and adventurous strangers, through an intensely off-the-grid Airbnb, with a chapel in the trees dedicated to Saint Agnes of Rome...if Agafia approves.

I have no intentions of convincing Agafia to leave her lifelong home in the taiga. Instead, I hope others will join me in my mission to build a loving community around our "Babushka.” So then her home, which is well stocked with supplies already, thanks to the kind people in the world, will remain well stocked with less effort, and her home will no longer be a lonely one.
It was another, much darker time and place that drove this God-loving family into the wilderness. Now, all alone, is the last remaining member of that family, and she is still loving and worshipping God ~a caring God who hears her every prayer, and returns her love. Our Father in Heaven is looking out for her. He has had her heart, her ear, and her undivided attention, for longer than most of us have been alive. I’m sure He filled it with the kind of wisdom He wants imparted to future generations. We are blessed to have this opportunity. Because, this wise, virtuous, strong, self-sufficient woman is so willing to teach us! Even an unbeliever, whom she welcomes.
Here are some nuggets of Agafia wisdom:
"T.V. is a devilish thing."
"Work is important and so is praying."
"Working on Sunday is despicable."
As Christians, all over the world, forgetting borders and denominations, let's come together as the real brothers and sisters that we are. Let’s adopt Agafia, as our Babushka, and show His detractors that God will not be mocked, and those persecuted, who have given up, or lost, or never enjoyed an opportunity to have houses, or lands, or families, for His sake, will have them 100 fold in the long run, along with eternal life, as the Lord Jesus promises us, in The Gospel of Saint Matthew, 19:29
Thank you for your support of my Siberian Dream of building a supply route to Agafia, and a loving community around her.
To watch this adventure unfold, check here for updates, and check out our YouTube channel: Siberian Cowboys.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUNpld5_ga9Ryw-1arGjTkw
A video about Agafia: https://youtu.be/tt2AYafET68
Agafia is the last member of the Lykov family. In 1936, religious persecution drove this family deep into the taiga of the Western Sayan mountains. Karp Lykov drew a warm bath into a hollowed out pine tub. He then lowered his wife into the bath and helped deliver their 4th and youngest child, Agafia, into the Siberian wilderness on April 16th, 1944.
Although she has sustained herself successfully for many decades, some of which were in solitude after her last family member passed in 1988, she finally requested help in 2014, complaining that her health was waning. Please read a copy of her letter, with translation, featured in The Siberian Times:
I want to help Agafia.
The first phase of my mission to help Agafia will be to build a 200 kilometer ATV trail along the river that is currently the only way to reach her. This 5 day boat trip upstream in shallow water is grueling and I salute those who have braved these hard conditions to bring Agafia life-sustaining help and supplies.
I’ve learned that breeding livestock is in high demand, and is being imported from other countries into Russia. This is not against any sanctions or counter sanctions at this time. I plan to collect livestock in North America, and transport these animals, and myself, to Abakan, then Abaza, then walk them along the river to Agafia’s homestead, as I survey, map, and plan the ATV trail ~like a true Siberian Cowboy!
Instone, USA is a company that loads livestock into a 747 Airplane and transports them quickly and safely by air to places like Kazakstan. There are also many huge livestock carrier ships that transport livestock from Australia and the USA, to Russia by sea. This takes much longer, about three weeks, but the animals are fed and watered and well cared for on the journey.
This trip will be expensive, but the value of the breeding livestock will be greater, directly proportional to the cost of purchasing them and transporting them to Agafia’s homestead. And, as long as I can successfully tend to them, and move them, and graze them, etc., like a good Siberian Cowboy, they will be increasing in value with every day they mature, and every year they reproduce.
A good, used, shovel-dozer to clear and grub, and grade the ATV trail is a required piece of equipment. I need it to go ahead of the animals, as I move them out to Agafia's homestead. Then, this machine will be very helpful when I scale up Agafia’s fishing and farming enterprises with more livestock and shelter for them, larger vegetable gardens, hoop houses to extend growing times, a cheese cave, and facilities to process other foods and supplies, specialty foods and other merchandise produced on our ranch to sell and trade.
I have over 20 years experience in construction, and have planned, estimated and completed projects of this type and scale or larger and I am confident that building this ATV trail and developing Agafia’s homestead, will not only be feasible, but also fun. I’ve also enjoyed working in the commercial fishing industry, and have done some ranching work.
I welcome anyone with a strong back, and the same sense for fun and adventure with a humanitarian purpose, to contact me. This is a dream I want to share, and the “strength in numbers” philosophy applies. Let’s build a little ranching community around Agafia. Let’s build a team to share the work and the fruits of it.
We can improve her homestead, and entertain visitors, helpers, pilgrims, friends and adventurous strangers, through an intensely off-the-grid Airbnb, with a chapel in the trees dedicated to Saint Agnes of Rome...if Agafia approves.
I have no intentions of convincing Agafia to leave her lifelong home in the taiga. Instead, I hope others will join me in my mission to build a loving community around our "Babushka.” So then her home, which is well stocked with supplies already, thanks to the kind people in the world, will remain well stocked with less effort, and her home will no longer be a lonely one.
It was another, much darker time and place that drove this God-loving family into the wilderness. Now, all alone, is the last remaining member of that family, and she is still loving and worshipping God ~a caring God who hears her every prayer, and returns her love. Our Father in Heaven is looking out for her. He has had her heart, her ear, and her undivided attention, for longer than most of us have been alive. I’m sure He filled it with the kind of wisdom He wants imparted to future generations. We are blessed to have this opportunity. Because, this wise, virtuous, strong, self-sufficient woman is so willing to teach us! Even an unbeliever, whom she welcomes.
Here are some nuggets of Agafia wisdom:
"T.V. is a devilish thing."
"Work is important and so is praying."
"Working on Sunday is despicable."
As Christians, all over the world, forgetting borders and denominations, let's come together as the real brothers and sisters that we are. Let’s adopt Agafia, as our Babushka, and show His detractors that God will not be mocked, and those persecuted, who have given up, or lost, or never enjoyed an opportunity to have houses, or lands, or families, for His sake, will have them 100 fold in the long run, along with eternal life, as the Lord Jesus promises us, in The Gospel of Saint Matthew, 19:29
Thank you for your support of my Siberian Dream of building a supply route to Agafia, and a loving community around her.
To watch this adventure unfold, check here for updates, and check out our YouTube channel: Siberian Cowboys.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUNpld5_ga9Ryw-1arGjTkw
A video about Agafia: https://youtu.be/tt2AYafET68
Organizer
Kevin Leland
Organizer
Rossville, GA