A Russian woman has been discovered living a ‘peaceful life’ inside an Indian cave.
She was found by police with her two young daughters in a remote area in Karnataka, near Ramteertha hills in the Gokarna forest, which borders the tourist hotspot of Goa.
The trio were rescued on 9 July and have been moved to a nearby detention centre for foreigners living illegally in the country.
Officials found pictures of Hindu deities on the inside walls of the forest cave with red saris made in curtains to cover the entrance.
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Set to be deported, the woman has defended her lifestyle in videos for an Indian news agency, saying the three were happy living in the cave and that ‘nature gives good health’.
Who is the Russian woman?
Police say Nina Kutina had worked as a Russian language tutor in Goa.
Authorities say the 40-year-old and her two daughters (aged five and six) do not have valid documents to remain in the country, having overstayed her visa.
Speaking to India’s ANI and PTI news agencies, the woman said she was born in Russia but hadn’t lived there for 15 years, having travelled to ‘a lot of countries, Costa Rica, Malaysia, Bali, Thailand, Nepal, Ukraine’.
Police officer Sridhar SR said: “It is nothing but her love for adventure that brought her here.”
After she was found, Kutina reportedly wrote to her friends: “Our peaceful life in the cave has ended - our cave home destroyed.”
How did police find them?
Police began patrolling the forests last year to ensure the safety of tourists and had walked down a steep hill to investigate after spotting bright clothes that had been hung out to dry.
As they got closer, ‘a little blonde girl came running out’ of the entrance curtained off with saris. Police went inside to find Kutina and her other daughter.
Superintendent M Narayana told the BBC: “The woman and her children appeared quite comfortable in the place.
“It took us some time to convince her that it was dangerous to live there.”
Police say when they explained it was unsafe due to the snakes and wild animals, Kutina responded: “Animals and snakes are our friends. Humans are dangerous.”
The woman apparently told the she arrived In Karnataka from Goa, where she said she also lived in a cave and had given birth to one of her daughters in one.
There seems to be some mystery around Kutina being in India, with it unknown when she last entered the country with reports claiming it’s been since 2020.
How did they survive in the cave?
Police found very little in the cave, just the likes of plastic mats, instant noodle packets, clothes and a few grocery items.
Kutina claimed she had been there for a week and police said that she’d bought some vegetables and food from a local shop a week ago.
She told news agencies she spent her days in the cave painting, singing, reading books and living peacefully with her kids.
Kutina said she had chosen a ‘very big and beautiful’ cave that was ‘very close to a village’ so she could buy food and essentials.
“We were not dying, and I did not bring my children, my daughters, to die in jungle. They were very happy, they swam in the waterfall, they had a very good place for sleeping, a lot of lessons in art making, we made from clay, we painted, we ate good, I was cooking very good and tasty food,” she told ANI.
Kutina and the children were taken to a hospital for a check-up after being found and they were certified to be medically fit.
Where is their father?
India’s Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRR) said it has now tracked down the children’s dad, Dror Goldstein, an Israeli businessman.
They added that he is in the country at the moment and have met with him.
Officials say they were trying to persuade Goldstein to pay for the woman and her daughter’s repatriation. He has told Indian news outlets that Kutina left Ga without telling him and claimed that he lodged a missing complaint in relation to the police.
Goldstein says he wants joint custody of his daughters and plans to try and stop the government from sending them to Russia.
Topics: Russia, Travel, World News
Jess Battison