Yes, that makes the story more fascinating. They left home during revolution and actually, youngest daughter was still living there alone up until recently (2010-2011 I think).
I think you're reading the story wrong, they even talk about the Bolsheviks killing the guys brother. They would have gone into the wilderness just before WW2, years after the revolution(Based on them being there for 40 years, and being found in 78).
The Pitcairn Islands are the one example I can think of right now. There was a large sex assault trail against numerous inhabitants, meaning the island now has the highest rate of sex offenders per capita in the world. They also used to have a strict moral code forbidding dancing, drinking or smoking.
Vice has a show called Far Out, which documents people who have lived on their own for many decades.
http://www.vice.com/far-out