Old believers represent a combination of religious beliefs and organizations included in Russian orthodox church. Old believers deny Church reform which was held in 1650-1660ies the purpose of which was to unite Russian and Greek Churches. The reform caused dissension of Russian Church.

In the 20^th century the attitude towards old believers changed, but they still haven't united with the Russian Orthodox Church and consider themselves to be real Christians.

Nowadays old believers live in many parts of the world including Russia.

There are several famous settlements in Siberia. The majority of them live in Tuva, Khakasia and Krasnoyarsk region.

As for Tuva republic there are several villages in the upper part of the Yenisei river where old believers live. The traditions of old believers are very strong here. They don't buy anything in shops except the most necessary things like salt, matches or kerosene. Their main occupations are hunting and farming. Old believers are very reserved. They prefer not to communicate with unfamiliar people. Nobody of them will let you in the house or take pictures with you.

The meals of old believers are strictly defined. The most important rule is to keep the fast. Tea drinking is considered to be a sin. Old believers are allowed to eat meat on certain days. But there are also a lot of rules connected with meat eating.

The most famous villages of old believers are Sizim, Erzhei, Uzhep, Erzin and Katazy territory.

Sizim is the last village which can be reached by the road. The majority of population is Russian people. Electricity is produced by a diesel electro station here. There is also a power-saw bench and forestry in the village. Behind Sizim village there are absolutely no roads. There is taiga where only old believers live.

Erzin village is famous for the artist Brigad Dupchur. He is one of the best tuvan stone cutters. His works are exhibited in many Russian museums. Brigad Dupchur is also known as a composer and as a writer.

Another peculiarity of Erzin village is the central estate of the nature reserve "Uvs Nuur basin" which was founded in 1993. 

Katazy village was founded for the only purpose - to store hay for horses. It was situated on the way to the gold mines. In 1960ies people started to move from Katazy to Uzhep, because children needed to go to school. The last family left Katazy in 1963. There were no people living in Katazy until 1990ies. But after Gorbachev reforms one of the families - Permyakovy - returned to the village. They restored the village, bought the most necessary technical equipment - tractors, snowmobiles, boats, motors. They also built a school and a tourist centre for hunting. Katazy village became famous the mayor of Moscow visited it in 1996.

Khakasian old believers are famous due to Lykovy family. Lykovy family is a family of old believers which lived absolutely reserved high in the mountains, in thick Sayan taiga. They left their house in 1930ies and were accidentally found by geologists in 1978. Lykovy were not familiar with a modern civilization, so this story got a big response in soviet mass media of that time.

A group of geologists accidentally came across a family which lived in a small house. People were shocked and stared at each other like if they were aliens from another planet. But later they learned to trust each other and started to cooperate. However first contacts of Lykovy family with modern people brought nothing good to them. Specialists say that modern civilization caused such a big stress for the family that their immune system was misbalanced.

In 1982 there was a series of publications which made the family famous all over the world. People were carefully reading the stories about the recluses who learned to live in a new civilization. The head of the family Karp Lykov said about polyethylene bag: "Glass that bends".

There were 6 members of the family: father - Karp Osipovich, mother - Akulina, two sons - Dmitry and Savin, and two daughters - Natalia and Agafya. But nowadays only Agafya is alive. Although she lives absolutely alone she still goes fishing, grows plants. But she also got some knowledge about new life. She flew on a helicopter, used a railroad to see her relatives and even visited a city hospital. She freely uses measurement devices: clock and thermometer.

Agafya Lykova is no longer so popular as she was, but the governor of Kemerovo region Aman Tuleev personally looks after Agafya's life in taiga. Agafya writes letters to him in which she mentions all her requests.

Agafya Lykova lives on the territory of the Khakasian state nature reserve which was called in the name of her family - "Lykovy territory".