reporter: in a village in southwestern russia, nadia melgunova says women like her used to be burned t the stake. but nowadays, doctors refer their patients to her. she's known locally as the babushka, the village matriarch. nadia offers treatments with water, wax, and prayers. but she only receives people who have been baptized. nadia: there you go. you were really scared. but you're not scared anymore. everyone comes to me. rich, poor, even healthy people. if people are afraid, i can heal them. i can help fight against the evil eye, sore throats, bad skin, inflammation. lots of things. reporter: hundreds of kilometers away from nadia's village is another place where people arrive from moscow and beyond, hoping for miracles. nadejda starzeva doesn't have it easy. her husband recently committed suicide. alcohol was involved. and jealousy. she has additional problems. nadejda: i am scared about what the doctors say about some dark spots on my lungs. and i want to know how my children are doing. i have a lot of children. i worry about them. reporter: thousands of people have sought help