Russian mother disputes ‘rescue’ after Karnataka cave life with kids: ‘They took my son’s ashes’

A 40-year-old Russian woman, Nina Kutina, along with her two young daughters, was rescued from a secluded cave in Karnataka’s Ramatirtha hills earlier this month, but she insists their life there was far from the hardship portrayed in media reports.

According to a TOI report, Kutina and her children, Preya (6) and Ama (4), had spent nearly two weeks living in the dense forest near Gokarna, a coastal pilgrim town in Uttara Kannada district. The family was brought to safety by local authorities on July 11.

Kutina described their time in the cave as harmonious and self-sufficient. “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, as cited by PTI.

A trained teacher in art and Russian literature, Kutina has been travelling across 20 countries for the past 15 years. All four of her children were born in different locations, delivered by Kutina herself without medical assistance. “I know how to do it. No one helped me, I did it alone,” she was quoted by TOI as saying.

Though the family chose the forest life voluntarily, Kutina expressed distress over their current situation post-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 revealed.

She also disputed media narratives about their lifestyle, stating, “Everything shown on TV about us is false. I have videos and photos that show how clean and happy our life was before.” Kutina, who entered India on a business visa via Goa, said personal tragedies and legal issues prevented her return to Russia. “There have been many complicated reasons… We were constantly dealing with grief, paperwork and other problems,” she said. Despite travelling to other countries, she returned to India due to a deep connection. “We love India deeply - its environment, its people, everything,” she was reported by TOI as saying.

The Russian Embassy is now assisting the family, Kutina confirmed. Meanwhile, she plans to homeschool her children formally while sustaining their lifestyle through art, music videos and occasional teaching jobs.