Life of a 100 year old man. Secrets of longevity: scientists have discovered the rules of life for centenarian people. Why do we grow old

The world is full of mysteries and secrets. You can check something yourself and even see everything with your own eyes. But there are places where you cannot get a special pass. All data about them is most often classified and it is very difficult to find reliable information.

Let's start with the place that is most often mentioned in various means mass media. In the center of the Nevada desert there is a complex of structures owned by the US Air Force. For a long time officials made no comments about this place. The existence of this zone was officially recognized only in 2013, but with the note that they were just testing new weapons systems here.

But it doesn’t surprise you that this secret place has been discussed in the community for so many years. popular culture? The fact is that in fact, the “Area No. 51” project is a planned operation to divert attention from real secret objects. This base was specially promoted in the press and Hollywood. Hundreds of films have been made in which this same Area 51 appears in one way or another.

The real real secret place in the USA is located in a completely different place. This military base tucked away in a small town called Sausalito, which is located next to San Francisco. To get to it, just leave San Francisco along the Golden Gate Bridge and immediately turn right after it. Sausalito is famous primarily for its cozy bay, where the yachts of wealthy residents of San Francisco are located. This town is located on the gentle slopes of low mountains near Richardson Bay. This town is full of restaurants, shops, places to relax and entertain, and it feels more like a European town than an American town.

It's hard to believe that a huge military facility is hiding near a place like Sausalito. Nevertheless, it is true. In the depths of those same low mountains there is a secret base with parking for submarines, which quietly enter the bay and moor in a cave - a bunker.

And powerful reinforced concrete pillboxes and coastal artillery bunkers from the Second World War serve as excellent cover for the ventilation system of the top-secret base.

Exactly to this base submarines unidentified flying objects are being delivered, as evidenced by documents codenamed “San Francisco X-Files”.

The next place with a similar focus is Dulce's underground laboratory.

Most likely, this is the first time you have heard this name. The thing is that there is practically no reliable information about this mysterious base. It is located in the state of New Mexico, on the server border with the state of Colorado. It may seem that this is just another secret US intelligence facility. But there is evidence that, without exaggeration, there is an entire city deep underground.

Local residents have repeatedly noticed strange lights and unidentified flying objects in the sky. The researchers were attracted by strange structures on the surface, a new road that leads nowhere, and strange structures that are clearly not in use. At the same time, it is impossible to approach these objects; the place is fenced and guarded.

The most incredible and terrifying assumption about the purpose of this base appeared in the late 80s. A little later, this assumption was confirmed by numerous witnesses. One Thomas Costelo said he worked at the base as a security officer. He said that the base consists of 7 levels, with the lower levels given over to joint laboratories of the US armed forces and representatives of another civilization. Another key witness, Phil Schneider, corroborated Costelo's claims. In 1995, Schneider gave a famous lecture in which he told everything he knew about this base. The lecture became a sensation and this moment available on the Internet. Among other things, Schneider said that at great depths there is a whole network of underground tunnels connecting such secret objects. His words are indirectly confirmed by independent research, according to which a huge network of natural caves has been developed in the vicinity of the Dulce base. But it is not possible to prove that some of the corridors are of artificial origin. 7 months after the lecture, Schneider was found dead in his home, strangled with a medical catheter.

Rules for the life of a 100-year-old man

“Everyone wants to live long, but no one wants to grow old.”

Jonathan Swift

“Getting old is just a bad habit that busy people don’t have time for.”

Andre Maurois

By definition, a centenarian is something living that has a longer lifespan than is typical for a given species (by the way, animals and even trees can be centenarians). In relation to people, a centenarian is a person distinguished by longevity. Long-livers are people aged 90 years and older. Centenarians are found in almost all countries of the world, but there are places where there are more of them than the average for the planet.

Another important point– verification. A centenarian is considered verified if his age is confirmed by reliably verified facts or documents certifying his date of birth.

Whoever spoke out about longevity and the secrets of longevity!

For example, the British philosopher Bertrand Russell quite rightly noted: “To become a long-liver, you need to carefully choose your ancestors.” He himself lived to be 97 years old, and his grandfather, Lord John Russell (Prime Minister of Great Britain), lived to be 85 years old. That is, this man knew what he was talking about.

But his colleague George Moore, who lived 84 years, was more playful in this sense: “I owe my health and longevity to the fact that I never touched a cigarette, a glass, or a woman until I was ten".

American singer and actress Sophie Tucker said: “The secret of longevity is to never stop breathing.” And here famous actor and director Woody Allen is much more ironic: “You can live to be a hundred years old if you give up everything that makes you want to live a hundred years.”

And this is completely funny: “The point of longevity is to outlive your creditors.” These are the words of the once popular satirist Aminodav Shpolyansky, who published under the pseudonym Don Aminado.

In any case, over the past 30 years, the number of centenarians on our planet has increased many times.

The oldest verified centenarian is the Frenchwoman Jeanne Calment. She was born on February 21, 1873 and died on August 4, 1997, meaning she lived 122 years and 164 days.

In second place is also a woman, American Sarah Knauss: she was born on September 24, 1880 and died on December 30, 1999, that is, she lived 119 years and 97 days.

By the way, there is a woman in 3rd place, and in 4th, and in 5th, and in 6th...

Among men, the oldest verified centenarian is the Japanese Jiroemon Kimura: he was born on April 19, 1897 and died on June 12, 2013, that is, he lived 116 years and 54 days.

Of the living people, the oldest people are Italian Emma Morano-Martinuzzi, Jamaican Violet Brown and Japanese Nabi Tajima (they are 116 years old).

As we can see, here too it is the representatives of the “weaker” sex who are on the top lines of the hit parade. But the men's places in this long list start only... from the 36th line! For example, the oldest living man is considered to be the Japanese Sakari Momoi, who is “only” 112 years old. He was born into a peasant family in the city of Fukushima. He has three children, all of whom are alive to this day. This Japanese grandfather also has 11 grandchildren and 32 great-grandchildren.

A LITTLE STATISTICS

According to UN estimates, there are currently approximately 343 thousand centenarians in the world, and by 2050 this number is likely to increase to 3.2 million people, that is, tenfold.

According to the German Federal Statistical Office, there are approximately 17,000 people living in Germany today who have already celebrated their 100th birthday, and this number will only grow. In the UK there are 35,000 such people, in the USA - 55,000. And Japan leads in the number of super-centenarians: the number of its residents over the age of 100 in 2015 reached 58,800 people.

It turns out that humanity no longer wants to grow old. And scientists around the world are looking for recipes to prolong youth. People with so-called “age-related anomalies” are becoming the object of close attention of gerontologists, biologists, physiologists and immunologists. After all, without suspecting it, centenarians independently found their own recipe for a long and healthy existence.

This phenomenon has no explanation yet. On the planet there are places of strength and healthy longevity, some local points with a record concentration of centenarians. What are these places? And how do people manage to deceive the laws of aging and give themselves extra years of life? This book is dedicated to finding answers to these and many other questions.

Accordingly, one can, like Dan Buettner, author of the book “The Rules of Longevity,” say that “we have collected in the book lessons of wisdom: the gift of centenarians, telling about a rich, fulfilling life. They talk about everything. From them we learn how to make our lives long.”

But, as Dan Buettner quite correctly noted, “centenarians can no more talk about how they lived to be a hundred years old than a two-meter man can talk about how he grew to two meters.” They just don't know it. That is, each individual does not know. But what if we find places where many centenarians live? What if we find special zones where the number healthy people at the age of 90-100 years or even more in relation to the rest of the population is extremely high?

At one time, demographer Jay Olshansky from the University of Illinois at Chicago, along with 50 of the world's leading experts, issued the following appeal: “Our position is clear - no surgical procedures, lifestyle changes, vitamins, antioxidants, hormones or methods genetic engineering none of those available to date have proven their ability to influence the aging process.”

But according to Dan Buettner, “The harsh reality is that the aging process only has a gas pedal, and we have yet to know whether there are brakes.” In his opinion, the most we can do is not to press the gas pedal too hard and not accelerate the aging process. At the same time, the average resident of an industrial developed country, I must admit, with his “crazy” life in big cities, he presses on this pedal with all his might.

You can discuss this topic endlessly. What is this book? It introduces the reader to the best world traditions of maintaining health and longevity. She talks about the most interesting " special zones"on Earth and the long-livers there. She is trying to discover the secrets of longevity, and to do this, scientists, also the heroes of this book, turn directly to the primary sources, that is, to people who lived to be 100 years old and even stepped over this amazing threshold.

For eight years, author Dan Beutner and his team of researchers traveled the planet in search of people living extremely long and healthy lives. No, they did not go in search of the legendary “elixir of youth.” They were looking for the key to a happy old age. They observed the habits, diet, daily activities and attitudes of the centenarians, trying to discover what they knew that the rest of us did not.

Dan Beutner's preliminary findings became an article in National Geographic magazine, and the detailed discoveries were later published in the best-selling book Blue Zones: Lessons on Living Longer from the People Who Lived Longest.

Dan Beutner discovered four geographic regions where people generally live longer, but he singled out Loma Linda. And he learned a lot from the Adventists in this Blue Zone, and the people living there made the greatest impression on him.

Our centenarians saw the motorcade of Nicholas II, remember the beginning of the First World War, and survived the bullets of Finnish snipers. What is the secret of Russian centenarians, scientists are finding out. On this topic: Former ambassadors can not be. Interview with diplomat D. F. Safonov

Among us live people who have managed to deceive time. They don't age like everyone else. Their abnormal longevity was not prevented by urban ecology, stress and lack of natural products. What is the secret of these centenarians? Why did their biological clock slow down? To answer these and other questions, a team of Russian scientists is traveling around the world. They have already been to Italy, the USA and Costa Rica, and now they are exploring the centenarians of Russia. The purpose of this expedition is to study the oldest representatives of humanity. Without knowing it, these age record holders have found their recipe for a long and healthy existence.

Using the example of these lives amazing people we will try to calculate the optimal formula for longevity - a set of rules for a centenarian person. Vera Mysina, candidate, will help us biological sciences, senior researcher at the Institute of General Genetics Russian Academy Sciences (pictured).

Safonov Dmitry Fedorovich, 104 years old

House on Bersenevskaya embankment, two steps from the Kremlin. Monumental residential complex built in 1931. The elite lived in this historical building Soviet state: party leaders, military leaders, artists, writers, scientists. Today, one of the oldest residents of Moscow receives guests in the legendary house on the embankment.

In 2014, former diplomat Dmitry Safonov celebrates his 105th birthday. His unusual apartment in the very center of Moscow is the starting point of our scientific journey through the cities of Russia.

90 of your 100s extra years Dmitry Safonov lived in cities. As a teenager, he ran away from his native farm to Leningrad. Then I ended up in Moscow. Diploma of graduation from Baumansky technical school Dmitry Fedorovich was awarded on the first day of the war - June 22, 1941. A year after the victory, Safonov found himself in the service of the People's Commissariat of Foreign Affairs.

The centenarian retired in 1977. The honored diplomat is still a welcome guest at ceremonial receptions in

At 79 years old, Kremlin doctors rendered a verdict: heart valve replacement. Heart valve problems are the 104-year-old man's only serious illness. IN medical card centenarian has no other serious illnesses. Even ten years in the hot climate of African countries did not shake his good health.

Good memory - necessary condition high quality of life. Almost all the heroes of our scientific journey at 100 years old demonstrated an excellent state of long-term memory. Dmitry Fedorovich is no exception.

The 104-year-old old-timer easily recalls the events of a century ago. It is much more difficult in old age to retain fresh information. The gradual fading of neural connections, as a rule, leads to problems with short-term memory.

Human memory is unique. She allows him to feel individuality. Constant forgetfulness deprives a person of his own self. He becomes disoriented and dependent on others.

Regular memory training is the key to a clear mind. This can be achieved different ways. Neurophysiologists have proven that the projection of the hand zone in the cerebral cortex is located next to the centers responsible for complex cognitive processes. Training fine motor skills improves speech, coordination, attention and memory.

A long-time resident from Moscow, Dmitry Safonov, has found his own way to keep his mind in good shape. At the age of 85, he began writing his memoirs. At 90 he mastered the computer on his own. The former diplomat's first book was published when the author was already 93. Today, the long-lived writer's list of works includes ten books of memories and reflections. Dmitry Fedorovich is not going to stop there. He works at the computer seven days a week, several hours a day.

An engineer by training and a diplomat by profession, Dmitry Safonov calls his literary work an inoculation against old age. The connection between work and longevity is the object of research by modern scientists. Statistics collected over half a century allowed them to draw a striking conclusion: it turns out that creativity prolongs life.

Professor Vladimir Anisimov, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Recognized authority in the world of gerontology. He is one of the experts of the UN program on aging.

— There are many theories of aging, but they actually boil down to two main hypotheses. This is an accumulation of errors, because the longer you live, the more tissues and systems are damaged - from molecules to the body as a whole. And genetic factors that determine life expectancy and longevity. Approximately 35% of success is associated with them. Everything else is related to features environment. This includes diet, place of residence, daily rhythm, and light regime.

Light pollution is a scientific term that originated in the 20th century. Night life cities, round-the-clock lighting negatively affects human health. These factors disrupt the natural hormonal balance in the body. The receptors that synthesize melatonin are most affected. 70% of this important hormone is produced at night, in complete darkness.

Experiments have shown that a lack of night hormone sharply shortens the life of experimental animals. The development of drugs containing melatonin is one of the priority areas of applied gerontology.

High level of education - characteristic urban population. A case in point is St. Petersburg. Almost 40% of its residents have graduated from university. Life expectancy in the Northern Capital is three years higher than the national average. On average, people live here up to 73 and a half years. 306 local centenarians who have crossed the century mark make their contribution to this high figure.

Olga Mikhailovna Ivanova, 100 years old

Olga Mikhailovna does not hear or see very well, but these natural difficulties do not prevent the woman from continuing her life’s work. Professor Ivanova’s official retirement age came at the end of the 60s of the last century, but the embryologist has not yet left fundamental science.

Olga Mikhailovna Ivanova is a 100% city resident. She was born in pre-revolutionary St. Petersburg. She often spent her childhood and youth on the shores of the Black Sea. The centenarian’s earliest memories are of that time.

This amazing centenarian woman is a person of diverse interests. She is the author of a monograph on mythological animals. The centenarian draws illustrations for her works herself. Olga Mikhailovna’s faithful support is her 70-year-old son. Mikhail Artemyevich followed in his mother’s footsteps. He has been studying biology all his life.

Olga Mikhailovna eats little. Most in present life she misses communication with colleagues and daily walks. IN last years The long-liver's legs began to hurt. She moves around the apartment using a special walker.

Vasily Artemyevich Sivolapov, 101 years old

At a distance of 1,500 km from St. Petersburg, another Russian supercentenarian with an unusual fate is preparing to celebrate his next birthday.

Kirovo-Chepetsk. Former closed city with a population of 75,000 people. IN Soviet times important strategic facilities were located here - nuclear and chemical industry. The huge chemical plant on the banks of the Vyatka River is still in operation. When Vasily Artemyevich was born, neither the plant nor Kirovo-Chepetsk existed yet.

Vasily Artemyevich was born in Southern Siberia. During his long life, this hundred-year-old Siberian went through many serious tests.

In December 1941 military unit Sergeant Sivolapov was sent from the rear of Omsk to the front. Destination: Leningrad. From first to last day During the blockade, Vasily Artemyevich defended the besieged city. During this time he received four wounds. He miraculously survived twice.

Vasily Artemyevich settled in Kirovo-Chepetsk in 1947. Today he lives in an ordinary five-story building, in a standard one-room apartment. For 70 years now, this veteran has carried within himself another reminder of the war - a bullet. Finnish sniper. But the veteran’s bullet doesn’t bother him at all. He only complains about weak eyesight.

Another amazing fact. At 101 years of age, Vasily Artemyevich does not need outside help. 24 hours a day he is absolutely independent from others. His son, two grandchildren and three great-grandchildren are in this house only as guests.

Vasily Artemyevich never smoked or drank alcohol. Having finally retired at 80, this grandfather continued to live by the principle “The main thing is not to stop.” 1.5 km from home to the Eternal Flame and back is his usual daily route.

A long-liver from Kirovo-Chepetsk, Vasily Sivolapov, is in incredible physical shape for his age. He is one of the most active heroes of “The Rules of Life of a 100-Year-Old Man.”

The abnormal physical condition of 100-year-old Vasily Sivolapov is a real natural phenomenon. Hundreds of gerontologists around the world are studying such centenarians. They have not yet been able to detect longevity genes in the DNA of old-timers. Another ambitious task of scientists is the search for geroprotectors, chemical compounds, capable of slowing down the natural process of withering of the body.

Youth elixir - cherished dream humanity. Over the past ten years, science has made huge strides in this direction. After testing hundreds of thousands of different compounds, scientists have discovered at least five substances that extend the life of laboratory animals, by an average of eight years in human years. The most effective of these chemical compounds have long been known to medicine.

Sound, long sleep is the foundation healthy life. Vasily Sivolapov from Kirovo-Chepetsk has been following this rule for more than 100 years. There is always room for an afternoon nap in his daily routine. Another commandment of a long-lived veteran is not to give way to your nerves.

The owner of this birth certificate has lived a difficult life. Today his life is the difficult everyday life of a pensioner from the Russian outback. Thanks to his character, self-discipline and wisdom, this man approached his 101st birthday with a psychological attitude that was rare for his age. Vasily Artemyevich Sivolapov is a true centennial lover of life.

Augusta Mikhailovna Malykh, 101 years old

According to statistics, the average life expectancy for men in Russia is almost 66 years, for women - 76 years. The occupant of this ancient building crossed this milestone more than two decades ago. Augusta Mikhailovna’s hometown is an hour’s drive from Kirovo-Chepetsk. Slobodskaya is much older than its industrial neighbor. The first mentions of this settlement date back to the second half of the 15th century. At the beginning of the twentieth century, Augusta Mikhailovna’s father purchased an apartment in this merchant’s house. Being a wealthy manufacturer, he managed to give his children a good education.

Augusta Mikhailovna worked at the local fur factory “Belka” for more than 30 years. From her house to the entrance is about 3 km. Until her retirement, the centenarian walked to work.

In 2010, Grandma Augusta severely injured her right leg. Now she's leading sedentary image life. Despite this, the 100-year-old woman continues to maintain her physical fitness.

Augusta Mikhailovna Malykh is a native resident of the Kirov region. Thanks to this, evidence of her extreme age can be found in the local archive. Credibility is one of the major concerns in the world of gerontology.

The extreme age of the centenarian does not raise any doubts among geneticist Vera Mysina. This ancient house with a Russian stove is the final point of our route. Scientific journey through middle lane Russia is coming to an end. The time has come to sum up the results of the next expedition of the “Rules of Life of a 100-Year-Old Man.”

The expert made his conclusions. The search for recipes for healthy longevity continues. The next participant in the project will be in the mountainous regions of our country.

Among us live people who have managed to deceive time. They don't age like everyone else. Their abnormal longevity was not hindered by urban ecology, stress and lack of natural products. What is the secret of these centenarians? Why did their biological clock slow down? To answer these and other questions, a team of Russian scientists is traveling around the world. They have already been to Italy, the USA and Costa Rica, and now they are researching the centenarians of Russia.

Safonov Dmitry Fedorovich, 104 years old

Dmitry Safonov lived 90 of his 100-plus years in cities. As a teenager, he ran away from his native farm to Leningrad. Then I ended up in Moscow. Dmitry Fedorovich was awarded a diploma of graduation from the Bauman Technical School on the first day of the war - June 22, 1941. A year after the victory, Safonov found himself in the service of the People's Commissariat of Foreign Affairs.

In 2014, the former diplomat celebrates his 105th birthday. His unusual apartment in the very center of Moscow is the starting point of our scientific journey through the cities of Russia.

Ninety of his hundred-plus years Dmitry Safonov lived in cities. As a teenager, he ran away from his native farm to Leningrad, then ended up in Moscow. Dmitry Fedorovich was awarded a diploma of graduation from the Bauman Technical School on the first day of the war - June 22, 1941. A year after the victory, Safonov found himself in the service of the People's Commissariat of Foreign Affairs.

The centenarian retired in 1977. The honored diplomat is still a welcome guest at ceremonial receptions at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. At 79 years old, Kremlin doctors rendered a verdict: heart valve replacement. Problems with the heart valve are still the only serious illness of the 104-year-old man: there are no other serious illnesses in the centenarian’s medical record. Even ten years in the hot climate of African countries did not shake his good health.

A good memory is a necessary condition for a high quality of life. Almost all the heroes of our scientific journey at 100 years old demonstrated an excellent state of long-term memory. Dmitry Fedorovich is no exception; The 104-year-old old-timer easily recalls the events of a century ago. It is much more difficult in old age to retain fresh information. The gradual fading of neural connections, as a rule, leads to problems with short-term memory.

A person's memory allows him to feel his individuality, while constant forgetfulness deprives a person of his own self. He becomes disoriented and dependent on others.

Regular memory training is the key to a clear mind. This can be achieved in different ways. Neurophysiologists have proven that the projection of the hand zone in the cerebral cortex is located next to the centers responsible for complex cognitive processes. Fine motor skills training improves speech, coordination, attention and memory.

A long-time resident from Moscow, Dmitry Safonov, has found his own way to keep his mind in good shape. At the age of 85, he began writing his memoirs. At 90 he mastered the computer on his own. The former diplomat's first book was published when the author was already 93. Today, the long-lived writer's list of works includes 10 books of memories and reflections. Dmitry Fedorovich is not going to stop there; he works at the computer seven days a week, several hours a day.

An engineer by training and a diplomat by profession, Dmitry Safonov calls his literary work an inoculation against old age. The connection between work and longevity is the object of research by modern scientists. Statistics collected over half a century allowed them to draw a striking conclusion: it turns out that creativity prolongs life.

Why do we grow old?

There are many theories of aging, but they actually boil down to two main hypotheses. Firstly, the longer you live, the more tissue is damaged: from molecules to the body as a whole. Secondly, genetic factors that determine life expectancy and longevity. Approximately 35% of success is associated with them. Everything else is related to the characteristics of the environment. This includes diet, place of residence, daily rhythm, and light regime.

Light pollution is a scientific term that originated in the 20th century. City nightlife and 24-hour lighting negatively affect human health. These factors disrupt the natural hormonal balance in the body. The receptors that synthesize melatonin are most affected. 70% of this important hormone is produced at night, in complete darkness.

Experiments have shown that a lack of night hormone sharply shortens the life of experimental animals. The development of drugs containing melatonin is one of the priority areas of applied gerontology.

A high level of education is a characteristic feature of the urban population. A case in point is St. Petersburg. Almost 40% of its residents have graduated from higher education educational establishments. Life expectancy in the Northern capital is three years higher than the national average. On average, people live here up to 73 and a half years. 306 local centenarians who have crossed the century mark make their contribution to this high figure.

Olga Mikhailovna Ivanova, 100 years old

Olga Mikhailovna Ivanova is a 100% city resident. She was born in pre-revolutionary St. Petersburg. She often spent her childhood and youth on the shores of the Black Sea. The centenarian’s earliest memories are of that time.

Olga Mikhailovna does not hear or see very well, but these natural difficulties do not prevent her from continuing her life’s work. Professor Ivanova’s official retirement age came at the end of the 60s of the last century, but the embryologist has not yet left fundamental science.

This amazing centenarian woman is a person of diverse interests. She is also the author of a monograph on mythological animals and draws illustrations for her works herself. Olga Mikhailovna’s faithful support is her 70-year-old son. Mikhail Artemyevich followed in his mother’s footsteps: he also devoted his life to biology.

What she misses most in her current life is communication with colleagues and daily walks. In recent years, the centenarian’s legs began to hurt. She moves around the apartment using a special walker.

Vasily Artemyevich Sivolapov, 101 years old

At a distance of 1,500 km from St. Petersburg, another Russian supercentenarian with an unusual fate is preparing to celebrate his next birthday.

In Soviet times, the closed city of Kirovo-Chepetsk housed important strategic nuclear and chemical industry facilities. The huge chemical plant on the banks of the Vyatka River is still in operation.

In December 1941, Sergeant Sivolapov’s military unit was sent from rear Omsk to the front, to Leningrad. From the first to the last day of the blockade, Vasily Artemyevich defended the besieged city and received four wounds.

Vasily Artemyevich settled in Kirovo-Chepetsk in 1947. Today he lives in an ordinary five-story building, in a standard one-room apartment. For 70 years now, this veteran has been carrying within himself another reminder of the war - a bullet from a Finnish sniper. But the veteran’s bullet doesn’t bother him at all; he only complains about poor eyesight.

Another amazing fact: at the 101st year of his life, Vasily Artemyevich does not need outside help. 24 hours a day he is absolutely independent from others. His son, two grandchildren and three great-grandchildren are in this house only as guests. Vasily Artemyevich never smoked or drank alcohol. Having finally retired at 80, this grandfather continued to live by the principle “The main thing is not to stop.” 1.5 km from home to the Eternal Flame and back is his usual daily route.

A long-liver from Kirovo-Chepetsk, Vasily Sivolapov, is in incredible physical shape for his age. He is one of the most active heroes of “The Rules of Life of a 100-Year-Old Man.”

The abnormal physical condition of 100-year-old Vasily Sivolapov is a real natural phenomenon. Hundreds of gerontologists around the world are studying such centenarians. They have not yet been able to detect longevity genes in the DNA of old-timers. Another ambitious task of scientists is the search for geroprotectors, chemical compounds that can slow down the natural process of withering of the body.

The elixir of youth is the cherished dream of humanity. Over the past ten years, science has made huge strides in this direction. After testing hundreds of thousands of different compounds, scientists have discovered at least five substances that extend the life of laboratory animals, by an average of eight years in human years. The most effective of these chemical compounds have long been known to medicine.

Sound, long sleep is the foundation of a healthy life. Vasily Sivolapov from Kirovo-Chepetsk has been following this rule for more than a hundred years. There is always room for an afternoon nap in his daily routine. Another commandment of a long-lived veteran is not to give way to your nerves. Today his life is the difficult everyday life of a pensioner from the Russian outback. Thanks to his character, self-discipline and wisdom, this man approached his 101st birthday with a psychological attitude that was rare for his age. Vasily Artemyevich Sivolapov is a true centennial lover of life.

Augusta Mikhailovna Malykh, 101 years old

According to statistics, the average life expectancy for men in Russia is almost 66 years, for women - 76 years. The inhabitant of the ancient building crossed this milestone more than two decades ago. Augusta Mikhailovna’s hometown is an hour’s drive from Kirovo-Chepetsk. Slobodskaya is much older than its industrial neighbor - the first mentions of this settlement date back to the second half of the 15th century. At the beginning of the twentieth century, Augusta Mikhailovna’s father purchased an apartment in a merchant’s house. Being a wealthy manufacturer, he managed to give his children a good education.

Augusta Mikhailovna worked at the local fur factory “Belka” for more than 30 years. From her house to the entrance is about 3 km. Until her retirement, the centenarian walked to work.

In 2010, Grandma Augusta severely injured her right leg. Now she leads a sedentary lifestyle. Despite this, the 100-year-old woman continues to maintain her physical fitness.

Augusta Mikhailovna Malykh is a native resident of the Kirov region. Thanks to this, evidence of her extreme age can be found in the local archive. Credibility is one of the major concerns in the world of gerontology. The extreme age of the centenarian does not raise any doubts among geneticist Vera Mysina.

An ancient house with a Russian stove is the final point of our route, but the search for recipes for healthy longevity continues. The next participant in the project will be in the mountainous regions of our country.