Sarhat Rashidova
Encyclopedia
Sarhat Ibrahimovna Rashidova (Russian: Сархат Ибрагимовна Рашидова, Azeri
: Sərhət İbrahim qızı Rəşidova) (1875?, Zidyan (near Derbent
), Dagestan
, Russia
– January 16, 2007, Dagestanskiye Ogni
, Dagestan
, Russia) was an ethnic Azeri
woman who lived in the Dagestan Republic in Russia and who was said by some people to have been the world's oldest living person prior to her death. According to her passport, issued by Dagestani authorities, she was 131 at the time of her death.
Sarhat Rashidova got attention from the Russian media when the local authorities were replacing her expired Soviet passport by a Russian one. The year of 1875 written as her date of birth was thought to have been a mistake until an investigation was carried out proving the original data accurate, according to those authorities.
Rashidova grew up an orphan. Her only husband, who was already a widower when he married her, died in the 1950s. Despite living in Russia, she only spoke her native Azeri
. She never had any children of her own, but raised five children from her husband's first marriage. Rashidova spent most of her life in pise-walled house in a remote village of Zidyan, which is situated between the Caucasus
mountains and the Caspian Sea
and in 2007, had a total population of ten families. She died while visiting her family in the neighbouring town of Dagestanskiye Ogni.
According to her friends and family, she never had any diseases, nor complained of any pain, nor took ingested medicines. Her diet mainly included chicken, eggs and milk. A little before of her demise, her state of health was considered satisfactory by her nurse, though her vision got worse. Rashidova worked until recently in a kolkhoz
(agricultural co-operative), and took care of four cows, as well as geese and chicken. On the week preceding her death, the local authorities expressed the intention to have her included in the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest living person.
Sarhat Rashidova is believed to have lived through historical events such as the death of Tsar Alexander II of Russia
in a terrorist attack; the rise of Alexander III
, the murder of the last tsar of the Romanov Dynasty, Nicholas II, in 1917, and the end of the Soviet Union
in 1991. She also witnessed the Bolshevik Revolution, the First and Second World Wars. In the 1940s, along with many other Dagestanis, she dug antitank trenches around Derbent and Makhachkala
to prevent Nazi Germany's advance.
In January 2007, officially and according to confirmed sources, the oldest person in the world was Puerto Rican Emiliano Mercado del Toro
, 115 years old, and the oldest woman was Canadian Julie Winnefred Bertrand
, born one month after. Both died several days after Rashidova's death. The confirmed oldest person in the world ever since was Frenchwoman Jeanne Calment
, who lived to the age of 122.
The Caucasus mountains are claimed to be the home of some of the oldest living people in the Earth due to geographical isolation and their millenarian habits, perfect antidotes against anxiety
and stress
, according to some specialists.
However, much research in the past 30 years (since 1979) has indicated that extreme age claims in the Caucasus could be false, and the reason people 'live so long' is that they inflate their age in a culture that values extreme age.
Azerbaijani language
Azerbaijani or Azeri or Torki is a language belonging to the Turkic language family, spoken in southwestern Asia by the Azerbaijani people, primarily in Azerbaijan and northwestern Iran...
: Sərhət İbrahim qızı Rəşidova) (1875?, Zidyan (near Derbent
Derbent
Derbent |Lak]]: Чурул, Churul; Persian: دربند; Judæo-Tat: דארבּאנד/Дэрбэнд/Dərbənd) is a city in the Republic of Dagestan, Russia, close to the Azerbaijani border. It is the southernmost city in Russia, and it is the second most important city of Dagestan...
), Dagestan
Dagestan
The Republic of Dagestan is a federal subject of Russia, located in the North Caucasus region. Its capital and the largest city is Makhachkala, located at the center of Dagestan on the Caspian Sea...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
– January 16, 2007, Dagestanskiye Ogni
Dagestanskiye Ogni
Dagestanskiye Ogni is a town in the Republic of Dagestan, Russia, situated on the coast of the Caspian Sea, south of Makhachkala. Population:...
, Dagestan
Dagestan
The Republic of Dagestan is a federal subject of Russia, located in the North Caucasus region. Its capital and the largest city is Makhachkala, located at the center of Dagestan on the Caspian Sea...
, Russia) was an ethnic Azeri
Azerbaijani people
The Azerbaijanis are a Turkic-speaking people living mainly in northwestern Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan, as well as in the neighbourhood states, Georgia, Russia and formerly Armenia. Commonly referred to as Azeris or Azerbaijani Turks , they also live in a wider area from the Caucasus to...
woman who lived in the Dagestan Republic in Russia and who was said by some people to have been the world's oldest living person prior to her death. According to her passport, issued by Dagestani authorities, she was 131 at the time of her death.
Sarhat Rashidova got attention from the Russian media when the local authorities were replacing her expired Soviet passport by a Russian one. The year of 1875 written as her date of birth was thought to have been a mistake until an investigation was carried out proving the original data accurate, according to those authorities.
Rashidova grew up an orphan. Her only husband, who was already a widower when he married her, died in the 1950s. Despite living in Russia, she only spoke her native Azeri
Azerbaijani language
Azerbaijani or Azeri or Torki is a language belonging to the Turkic language family, spoken in southwestern Asia by the Azerbaijani people, primarily in Azerbaijan and northwestern Iran...
. She never had any children of her own, but raised five children from her husband's first marriage. Rashidova spent most of her life in pise-walled house in a remote village of Zidyan, which is situated between the Caucasus
Caucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
mountains and the Caspian Sea
Caspian Sea
The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area, variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. The sea has a surface area of and a volume of...
and in 2007, had a total population of ten families. She died while visiting her family in the neighbouring town of Dagestanskiye Ogni.
According to her friends and family, she never had any diseases, nor complained of any pain, nor took ingested medicines. Her diet mainly included chicken, eggs and milk. A little before of her demise, her state of health was considered satisfactory by her nurse, though her vision got worse. Rashidova worked until recently in a kolkhoz
Kolkhoz
A kolkhoz , plural kolkhozy, was a form of collective farming in the Soviet Union that existed along with state farms . The word is a contraction of коллекти́вное хозя́йство, or "collective farm", while sovkhoz is a contraction of советское хозяйство...
(agricultural co-operative), and took care of four cows, as well as geese and chicken. On the week preceding her death, the local authorities expressed the intention to have her included in the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest living person.
Sarhat Rashidova is believed to have lived through historical events such as the death of Tsar Alexander II of Russia
Alexander II of Russia
Alexander II , also known as Alexander the Liberator was the Emperor of the Russian Empire from 3 March 1855 until his assassination in 1881...
in a terrorist attack; the rise of Alexander III
Alexander III of Russia
Alexander Alexandrovich Romanov , historically remembered as Alexander III or Alexander the Peacemaker reigned as Emperor of Russia from until his death on .-Disposition:...
, the murder of the last tsar of the Romanov Dynasty, Nicholas II, in 1917, and the end of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
in 1991. She also witnessed the Bolshevik Revolution, the First and Second World Wars. In the 1940s, along with many other Dagestanis, she dug antitank trenches around Derbent and Makhachkala
Makhachkala
-Twin towns/sister cities:Makhachkala is twinned with: Sfax, Tunisia Siping, China Spokane, United States Vladikavkaz, Russia Yalova, Turkey Ndola, Zambia-See also:*...
to prevent Nazi Germany's advance.
In January 2007, officially and according to confirmed sources, the oldest person in the world was Puerto Rican Emiliano Mercado del Toro
Emiliano Mercado del Toro
Emiliano Mercado del Toro was, at age 115, the world's oldest person for six weeks, and the world's oldest man from November 19, 2004 until his own death on January 24, 2007. He is the oldest verified military veteran ever...
, 115 years old, and the oldest woman was Canadian Julie Winnefred Bertrand
Julie Winnefred Bertrand
Julie Winnefred Bertrand was a Canadian supercentenarian who was the oldest living Canadian and the oldest verified living recognized woman at the time of her death at age 115 years 124 days....
, born one month after. Both died several days after Rashidova's death. The confirmed oldest person in the world ever since was Frenchwoman Jeanne Calment
Jeanne Calment
Jeanne Louise Calment was a French supercentenarian who had the longest confirmed human life span in history, living to the age of . She lived in Arles, France, for her entire life, and outlived both her daughter and grandson. She became especially well known from the age of 113, when the...
, who lived to the age of 122.
The Caucasus mountains are claimed to be the home of some of the oldest living people in the Earth due to geographical isolation and their millenarian habits, perfect antidotes against anxiety
Anxiety
Anxiety is a psychological and physiological state characterized by somatic, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral components. The root meaning of the word anxiety is 'to vex or trouble'; in either presence or absence of psychological stress, anxiety can create feelings of fear, worry, uneasiness,...
and stress
Stress (medicine)
Stress is a term in psychology and biology, borrowed from physics and engineering and first used in the biological context in the 1930s, which has in more recent decades become commonly used in popular parlance...
, according to some specialists.
However, much research in the past 30 years (since 1979) has indicated that extreme age claims in the Caucasus could be false, and the reason people 'live so long' is that they inflate their age in a culture that values extreme age.