Staff in the national archive of the republic of Sakha have found church records proving that Varvara Semennikova was born in May 1890, which makes her 117, Interfax reported.
If proven to be true, Semennikova would be older than Japan's Yone Minagawa, who was recognized by Guinness World Records as the world's oldest person. She died Monday at the age of 114.
Another title rival is a former Ukrainian shepherd, Hryhory Nestor, who national researchers there say is 116.
Semennikova belongs to a local indigenous tribe, the Evenks, and for a long time lived their traditional life, migrating with herds of deer and hunting. She has brought up four adopted children, all of whom later left home for their education.
"The oldest resident in the republic of Sakha has no complaints about her health and enjoys good memory," the news agency said. "She likes talking about her life and she shows an interest in the daily life of her own region and of Russia."
According to the Guinness Book of Records, the longest any woman has lived is 122 years. The oldest man was 120 when he died, in 1986.
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