Tanzilya Bisembeeva
Dmitry Rogulin/TASSThe tiny village of
Tanzilya was born in 1896, in tsarist Russia. Her first husband died on the front during the Great Patriotic War. Their son died in infancy. When the war ended she was 49. She did not have a family or children. But she soon received another marriage proposal from an elderly Kazakh. She accepted and then the couple had children – three sons, who today are 53, 54 and 57. She gave birth at home and in general, according to her relatives, did not turn to doctors until she was 100.
“In her life mom has seen a lot. She’s lived from Rasputin to Putin. She has worked hard all her life, either in the field or the
The age difference between Tanzilya and the youngest member of the family is 119 years. She now has 10 grandchildren, 24 great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren. She does not go out anymore but moves about the house by herself. She loves following world events and eats only natural food. In the Astrakhan Region, according to official statistics, another 71 residents have surpassed the 100-year-old threshold.
Appaz Iliev
Said Tsarnaev/SputnikAnother long-liver, who was also born in 1896, is resident of Ingushetia, Appaz Iliev. His village, Guli, lies high up in the mountains and in all his life Appaz has only come down from up high once. “He came down only to fight in the revolution with the White Army. Then he went to the front during the Great Patriotic War. But from the front he was deported to Kazakhstan,” says his nephew Akhmet.
In his long
The old mountaineer has eight children, 33 grandchildren, and 34 great-grandchildren. He has outlived two wives and has buried three children. Five years ago he still went horseback riding and herded animals, as he had always done. Now he only cuts the grass and cleans up the manure, supporting himself with the shovel as if it was a crutch. When Appaz is asked about the most important lesson of life, he responds, “A person becomes good if you see good in him.”
Nanu Shaova
Zubair Bayrakov/TASSAs of today she is the oldest woman in Russia. However, in her
President Vladimir Putin congratulated the native of Kabardino-Balkaria with her 125th birthday and in March 2018 she was the oldest Russian to vote in the elections. “Everyone should conscientiously and responsibly make this choice and should not think that their voice is not worth anything,” she said before casting her ballot.
Nanu has five children, 14 grandchildren, and 21 great-grandchildren. She has lived in the village of Zaikovo all her life and worked at the local collective farm. Her first husband died in the war and she buried her second one in 1982. Her grandchildren say that Nanu loves candy, butter, sweet tea, and drinks airan. The only thing, she does not eat anything after
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