| Varvara Semennikova | |
 | |
| Birth: | 10 May 1890? Zhigansk, Zhigansky District, Sakha Republic, Russia |
| Death: | 9 March 2008 Saskylakh, Anabarsky District, Sakha Republic, Russia |
| Age: | 117 years, 304 days? |
| Country: |  RUS
|
| Longevity claimant | |
Varvara Konstantinovna Semennikova [Russian: Варвара Константиновна Семенникова] (née Dyakonova; 10 May 1890? – 9 March 2008) was a Russian Evenk longevity claimant who claimed to be the world's oldest person since August 2007. However, her age has not been authenticated internationally by any source including Guinness World Records or the Gerontology Research Group.
Biography[]
Semennikova claimed to have been born on 10 May 1890 in the village of Zhigansk, in Zhigansky District, Sakha Republic, Russia. She was daughter of Tungusic nomads herders.
In 1944, she married Alexei Semennikov, a hunter 27 years her junior. It was one of two of her marriages from which she had two children who died in their youth. At the age of 58, she adopted an 8-month-old girl, from which she had several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Semennikova smoked until she was 100, and received numerous awards, including a necklace of diamonds, once she became a celebrity of sorts. In October 2007, it was reported that she was living with her 59-year-old adopted daughter Elena and 17-year-old grandson and it was also reported she had four children and 10 grandchildren.
Varvara Semennikova died in Saskylakh, Anabarsky District, Sakha Republic, Russia on 9 March 2008, at the claimed age of 117 years, 304 days. If this claim were verified, she would have been the oldest living person, as well as the fifth-oldest person in history. The only agency that has agreed with her age is the National Archive of Yakutia, who verified her as having been born in 1890 based on archived church records. However, these have not been released to the GRG.
See also[]
References[]
- Russian woman may dispute 'oldest known person' title with US citizen Pravda, 16 August 2007
- 117-old woman from Russia loves eating raw fish and drinking champagne Pravda, 11 October 2007
- 117-Year-Old Sakha Woman Was Believed World's Oldest The Moscow Times, 12 March 2008