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‘Now we're uncomfortable’: Russian woman rescued from Gokarna cave with 2 kids misses ‘nature, privacy’
Russian woman rescued with children from forest cave in Karnataka says she lived peacefully
The 40-year-old Russian woman rescued along with her two kids from a remote cave near Gokarna in Karnataka has said her life in the jungle was peaceful and close to nature, as compared to where they were kept since being brough out.
“We are now kept in an uncomfortable place. It’s dirty. There’s no privacy. And we get only plain rice to eat," said Nina Kutina. She and the kids are now at an ashram belonging to a veteran yoga teacher.
She and her two young children were brought down safely from the cave on the hill, police had said, and later, reportedly as per her wishes, she was sent to an NGO's ashram in Bankikodlu village in Kumta subdivision.
Also read | ‘We were not dying’: Russian woman defends life in cave
She accused the rescuers, police included, of ransacking the cave she called home. "Many of our belongings were taken, including the ashes of my son who passed away nine months ago,” she added in an interaction with news agency PTI.
Kutina and her children — Preya, 6, and Ama, 4 — were found on July 11 living in the particular secluded cave for at least two weeks. Reports said she had been living in the forests for eight years.
She had originally travelled from Russia to India on a business visa and reached the coastal town of Gokarna, known especially for attracting peace-seeking global tourists.
Also read | ‘Snakes our friends’: How Nina Kutina spent years hiding in forests
Kutina said she has four kids and has been travelling for the past 15 years, during which time she has been to around 20 countries.
"My children were all born in different places. I delivered all of them myself, without hospitals or doctors, because I know how to do it. No one helped me, I did it alone,” she claimed.
‘Woke up with the sun…'
Apparently missing her life in the cave, she described it in romantic detail: “We woke up with the sun, swam in rivers, and lived in nature. I cooked on a fire or gas cylinder depending on the season, and got groceries from a nearby village. We painted, sang songs, read books, and lived peacefully.”
She claimed that everything shown on TV about her life was false: “I have videos and photos that show how clean and happy our life was before.”
How she makes a living, teaches her kids
Kutina claimed she is a trained art teacher and teaches Russian literature too. She said she earns a living by “making art and music videos”, and occasionally teaches or babysits. “I earn money through all these activities,” she told the news agency.
At times, she summons help from family back home too: “If I don’t have any work, if I can’t find anyone who needs what I can offer, then my brother, my father, or even my son helps me. So we always have enough money for what we need."
About her two young kids not going to school, she said they will be formally homeschooled “with official documents” in the future. As for now, she said, “They are very smart, healthy, and talented. Everyone who meets them says so."
‘Grief, paperwork…’: Why Nina Kutina didn't go back to Russia
As to why she didn’t return to Russia, Kutina gave a vague answer, citing “many complicated reasons”.
"First, there were multiple personal losses — not just the death of my son, but also a few other close people. We were constantly dealing with grief, paperwork, and other problems.”
She said she traveled to four other countries before coming back to India “because we love India deeply — its environment, its people, everything”.
After he visa expired, she had traveled to Nepal for the mandatory exit some years ago, but later returned.
She is now in contact with the Russian embassy to possibly be sent back. She said the embassy is helping her family.
