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Time of India
3 days ago
- Lifestyle
- Time of India
How a Russian woman survived 8 years in a cave in Karnataka: what she ate, how she lived, and why she chose the wild
Image: Agencies In a story that blurs the line between spiritual devotion and survival, a 40-year-old Russian woman named Nina Kutina, known locally as Mohi, was discovered living in a forest cave with her two daughters in Karnataka's Uttara Kannada district. While many today dream of escaping the chaos of metro cities by moving to peaceful villages or serene farmhouses, Kutina took this yearning for simplicity to an extraordinary level. She chose not just quietude but complete detachment, retreating into a cave nestled in the Ramatirtha hills near the pilgrimage town of Gokarna. This cave served as their home, temple, classroom, and kitchen, part of an eight-year journey shaped by solitude and spiritual devotion. Arriving in India in 2016 on a business visa, she remained even after it expired in 2017, embracing Hindu philosophy and a lifestyle reminiscent of early human existence: close to nature, guided by sunlight, and stripped of modern conveniences. Russia to Ramatirtha: How she survived 8 years in the cave Kutina's survival wasn't accidental — it was the result of conscious planning and daily discipline. She made the forest her home, and the cave her shelter, relying on natural elements rather than modern amenities. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo There was no electricity, no phone, no buzz. Yet for nearly a decade, she managed to live a structured, sustainable life with her daughters, building a world shaped by spiritual commitment and practical resilience. Even during the harsh monsoon season, she prepared in advance — stocking up on dry foods and organizing the cave with essential supplies. She adapted to the environment, using plastic sheets for bedding and firewood for cooking. Authorities noted the survival setup was organized: plastic sheets , rudimentary kitchen tools, and a space formatted for spiritual practice. What she ate and how she structured daily life Meals were simple and mostly non-perishable: rice, lentils, instant noodles and occasional fruits gathered locally. Water came from natural sources, and bathing was done in nearby waterfalls. Kutina spent each day in structured routines: yoga, mantra chanting, singing, painting, reading, and spiritual rituals. These activities replaced conventional schooling for her daughters, drawing on oral traditions and creative learning. The cave's interior was decorated with Russian-language books, Hindu idols, and images of deities like Rudra—reflecting Kutina's blend of spiritual devotion and cultural heritage. Though the region is known for venomous snakes, wildlife, and frequent landslides, Kutina maintained that she and her daughters felt safe. She famously described wild snakes as their 'friends,' claiming they never harmed her unless provoked. Authorities acknowledged surprise at how the family coexisted with nature unharmed. Discovered by chance, but not without a plan The family's reclusive life came to light only when local police, patrolling the area, noticed signs of habitation in the forest. Gokarna Sub Inspector Sridhar S R stated that Kutina maintained a disciplined, peaceful environment for her daughters. Superintendent of Police M Narayana confirmed that the woman had made careful preparations for survival during difficult weather, expressing surprise at their resilience in harsh monsoon conditions. Kutina's decision to live in the forest was not one of desperation but devotion. Her cave life was an expression of her embrace of Hindu beliefs, a break from the noise of the modern world, and a journey of spiritual and maternal purpose. Her story offers a rare and intimate look into a life of complete simplicity, built on faith, nature, and the human will to adapt give a different subheading for this article
Hans India
4 days ago
- Hans India
I lived peacefully, says rescued Russian woman from forest cave
Bengaluru: Nina Kutina, the 40-year-old Russian woman who was rescued from a remote cave near Gokarna in Karnataka's Uttara Kannada district, on Tuesday said she spent her days painting, singing, reading books, and living peacefully with her two young children. Kutina (40) and her two young children, Preya (6) and Ama (4) were found on July 11 living in a secluded cave in the Ramatirtha hills of Kumta taluk, where they had stayed in complete isolation for nearly two weeks. She had travelled from Russia to India on a business visa and reached the sacred coastal town of Gokarna via Goa. The family eventually moved deep into the forest, where they made a natural cave their home amidst dense woods and steep terrain. In an interview with PTI, Kutina revealed that she is a mother of four and has been travelling for the past 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. Describing her life in the cave, she said, '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.' Responding to concerns about her current condition, Kutina said, '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 also alleged that news reports have misrepresented their life. '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. 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 said, adding that her children have not attended school but will be formally homeschooled with official documents in the future. Kutina said she earns by making art and music videos, and occasionally teaches or babysits. '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.' Asked why she didn't return to Russia, Kutina replied, '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 said she has traveled to four other countries and then came back to India 'because we love India deeply - its environment, its people, everything'. Kutina confirmed that she is now in contact with the Russian Embassy, which is helping her family.
Mint
5 days ago
- Mint
Nina Kutina, found living in remote Karnataka cave with two kids, did THIS to earn while travelling across 20 countries
Nina Kutina, a 40-year-old Russian woman found living in an isolated forest cave in Karnataka, was rescued by a police team from the Gokarna station on July 9. Her two daughters Preya (6) and Ama (4) were also rescued by the cops. Details of how Kutina and her daughters managed to survive in a dangerous cave in the forested Ramatirtha Hill area of Gokarna for nearly two weeks have now emerged. The trio had travelled from Russia to India on a business visa and reached the sacred coastal town of Gokarna via Goa. The family eventually moved deep into the forest, where they made a natural cave their home amidst dense woods and steep terrain. According to a PTI report, Kutina revealed that she lived peacefully with her two young children, and spent her days painting, singing, and reading books. Describing her life in the cave, she said, '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 also alleged that news reports have misrepresented their life. '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. 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 said, adding that her children have not attended school but will be formally homeschooled with official documents in the future. Kutina told PTI that she is a mother of four and has been travelling for the past 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. The Russian woman said she earned by making art and music videos, and occasionally teaches or babysits. '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." Asked why she didn't return to Russia, Kutina replied, '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 said she has traveled to four other countries and then came back to India 'because we love India deeply – its environment, its people, everything'. Kutina confirmed that she is now in contact with the Russian Embassy, which is helping her family. Responding to concerns about her current condition, Kutina said, '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.' Kutina's ex-husband, an Israeli citizen, is demanding shared custody of their daughters, saying he wants to be a father to them. 'I just want to be able to see my daughters a few times a week and take care of them, too. My concern is that if they go to Russia now, it will get tougher to keep in touch with them. So, I wish they could stay in India,' Goldstein told PTI on July 16. Dror Goldstein (38), who said he lives for nearly six months a year in Goa, said he had been living separately from Kutina for the last couple of years and that he 'lost touch' with them when she took the daughters and left Goa a few months ago. 'I managed to find them on a beach in Gokarna, but Kutina refused to let me be with my children as I don't live with them anymore,' added Goldstein. He said he met Kutina in Goa around 2017 and they had been together, travelling between India and Ukraine, until they split.
7NEWS
5 days ago
- 7NEWS
India: Mother and young daughters found living in forest cave alone for seven years
Police were stunned when they discovered a mother and her two young daughters had been living in isolation in an abandoned forest cave for over seven years. Nina Kutina, 40, and her two daughters, aged four and six, were found by authorities undertaking a routine patrol of Ramatirtha Hill, India. The Mirror reported that local police said the Russian family had been living in the cave undetected for years following the expiry of Ms Kutina's visa eight years ago. The mother told local media that they had passed the time by making art, singing, reading books and living peacefully. A police spokesperson said they had convinced Ms Kutina to come out of the cave by warning her of the risk of a landslide in the area. She had used red saris to form a makeshift curtain at the entrance of the cave, and inside had decorated the walls with pictures of Hindu deities. The family of three had reportedly lived off instant noodles. A police statement revealed a text message the mother had sent her friends after she was discovered. 'Our peaceful life in the cave has ended — our cave home destroyed,' Ms Kutina wrote. The family have been moved to a detention centre and will be made to return to Russia. Sridhar SR, a local police inspector, said Ms Kutina had told police that she worked as a Russian language tutor in Goa, a coastal tourist district in India. 'She had kept a schedule for kids which includes drawing, singing, chanting mantras, yoga and other exercises. Even on Sunday morning, she was teaching her kids yoga. It is nothing but her love for adventure that brought her here,' Sridhar said. Police were surprised that the family had survived in the woods, and said thankfully nothing 'untoward' had happened to them while they were in the forest. Ms Kutina told ANI that her family had a 'big experience' in the jungle. 'We were not dying, and I did not bring my daughters to die in the jungle. They did not feel bad, they were very happy,' she said. 'They swam in the waterfall, they lived, had a very good place for sleeping, a lot of lessons with art making, we made from clay, we painted, we ate good, I was cooking with gas, very good and tasty food.'
Global News
6 days ago
- General
- Global News
Indian police find Russian mom living in a cave with her 2 young daughters
A Russian woman and her two young daughters were found living in a cave deep in the forests of southern India, according to local authorities. The discovery came last week, inspectors said, as they were patrolling a landslide-prone forest in the southern Indian town of Gokarna, when one of the group members spotted a statue of a Hindu deity peeking out through some dense foliage. As they got closer to inspect, police Insp. Sridhar S.R. noticed bright coloured saris strung along the length of a rope. As he pulled back the fabric, a woman and two young girls were spotted inside a cave. Uttara Kannada District Police via AP. 1 Russian national Nina Kutina, 40, and her two daughters, ages four and six, had been living in the cave for about a week, officials said. Kutina had previously used the cave as a retreat to practice yoga and meditation, and told the inspectors they were happily making it a home now. Story continues below advertisement According to ABC News, she told investigating officers she was 'interested in staying in the forest and worshipping God.' In an interview with South Asian news agency ANI, Kutina explained her reasoning for living in the forest with her girls. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'We have big experience to stay in nature, in jungle. We were not dying. I did not bring my daughters to die in jungle,' Kutina told ANI. Kutina recounted making art and using clay with her daughters, and cooking 'tasty food.' 'They did not feel bad. They were very happy,' she said. Russian origin woman and her two young daughters who were staying in a dangerous cave in the forest on the Gokarna Ramatirtha hill have been rescued and shifted to a safer place. @CMofKarnataka @DrGParameshwara @DgpKarnataka @MankalSVaidya @Rangepol_WR @KarnatakaCops @kageri250… — SP Karwar (@spkarwar) July 14, 2025 Story continues below advertisement Eventually, the trio were taken to a shelter for women run by a non-profit group, the New York Times reported. They have since been moved to a detention facility specifically for foreigners who are in India illegally. Police said they are taking steps to repatriate Kutina to Russia for overstaying her visa, but added that her children do not have Russian passports. Police inspectors said records showed Kutina arrived in India in 2016 on a business visa that expired in April 2017. She left the country for Nepal in September 2018, but returned to India. Kutina was 'reluctant to provide proper details regarding her and her children's passport and visa,' police Supt. M. Narayana said. She did not reveal whether her children were born in India or Russia, but she told authorities she had a son who died in Goa, Narayana told CNN. 'She does not want to leave as she loves the nature, but we have to follow procedure,' Narayana said. He said the fact that she managed to be in India undetected since 2017 was a security concern. 'Going (into) caves is a dangerous thing, and with two children, and to live there for a week or more is astonishing.' Story continues below advertisement A police statement said Kutina sent a message to her friends after she was found. 'Our peaceful life in the cave has ended — our cave home destroyed,' she wrote in the message, according to the statement.
