NEW DELHI: A 40-year-old Russian woman found living in a forest cave with her two young children near Gokarna, Karnataka, has said her life was peaceful, artistic and self-reliant.Nina Kutina and her daughters, Preya (6) and Ama (4), were rescued on July 11 from a secluded cave in the Ramatirtha hills of Kumta taluk in Uttara Kannada district, where they had spent nearly two weeks in isolation.Kutina told news agency PTI that her life in the cave was harmonious and far from the way it was portrayed in news coverage.“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 said.According to local officials, the family had been surviving in the dense forest terrain amidst steep hills. Kutina had entered India on a business visa and reached Gokarna, a coastal pilgrim town in Karnataka, via Goa.Originally from Russia, she said she is a mother of four and has been travelling the world for the last 15 years.“Over the past 15 years, I’ve 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 said.Kutina said she is a trained teacher in art and Russian literature, and that she personally educates her children.“They are very smart, healthy, and talented. Everyone who meets them says so,” she added.The children have not attended school so far, but Kutina said she plans to formally homeschool them with official documentation.She said she earns a living by creating artwork, producing music videos and taking up occasional teaching or babysitting jobs.“I earn money through all these activities. And 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.”Kutina said the family moved to the forest voluntarily, but were now being kept in uncomfortable and unhygienic conditions following their rescue.“We are now kept in an uncomfortable place. It’s dirty, there’s no privacy, and we get only plain rice to eat. Many of our belongings were taken, including the ashes of my son who passed away nine months ago,” she said.She also said that television channels had broadcast false narratives about her lifestyle.“Everything shown on TV about us is false. I have videos and photos that show how clean and happy our life was before,” she said.Asked why she hadn’t returned to Russia, Kutina cited a series of personal tragedies, legal issues and emotional burdens.“There have been 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 added that despite travelling to four other countries in recent years, she eventually returned to India due to a strong emotional connection.“We love India deeply — its environment, its people, everything.”Kutina confirmed that she is now in contact with the Russian Embassy, which is assisting her and her children.‘Came for meditation’While patrolling Ramateertha Hill on Friday evening to ensure tourist safety, a team led by Inspector Sridhar SR from the Gokarna police station spotted suspicious activity near a cave and decided to investigate. To their surprise, they found a Russian woman, Nina Kutina, living inside with her two young daughters—six-year-old Prema and four-year-old Ama. Nina told the police she had come to Karnataka for meditation purposes. An idol of Lord Rama was also found in the cave, which Nina said she regularly worshipped. However, authorities were concerned about her choice of location, as Ramateertha Hill is known for its steep terrain, landslide risks, and presence of snakes and other venomous creatures.
