"We Weren't Dying, Love Nature': Russian Woman Found Living In Gokarna Cave

In a bizarre yet viral story, a 40-year-old Russian woman named Nina Kutina was discovered living inside a forest cave in Gokarna, Karnataka, alongside her two daughters, Prema and Ama, aged six and four. Surviving for nearly eight years without legal documents or permanent shelter, Kutina's story has stunned authorities and sparked widespread curiosity online.

Nina's Journey To The Wilderness

Kutina first arrived in India in October 2016 on a business visa and lived in Goa. After her visa expired in April 2017, she continued staying in the country. In 2018, she obtained an exit permit and briefly left for Nepal, only to return and remain undocumented.

She gradually disconnected from society and chose the dense forests near the Ramatirtha Hills in Gokarna as her refuge. There, she began a life of meditation, yoga, and self-imposed isolation, raising two daughters in the wilderness.

Rescue teams were shocked to discover the family's living conditions, a rock cave covered in plastic sheets, stocked with instant noodles, a few spiritual idols, and Russian-language books. Despite the dangers of wild animals and landslides in the monsoon-prone region, Kutina said she felt safer among nature than among humans.

She reportedly told police, "Snakes are our friends. They don’t harm us unless we disturb them." The woman believed that spiritual energy protected her family and emphasised her fear of “people, not animals.”

#WATCH | Bengaluru | Russian national Nina Kutina, who was found living with her two daughters in a remote cave near Gokarna in Karnataka, says, "We have a lot of experience staying in nature and we were not dying. I did not bring my children to die in the jungle...We used to… pic.twitter.com/iY0Bi8I6xb

— ANI (@ANI) July 14, 2025

Kutin dismissed the reports of neglect or danger for her daughters and said, "We have big experience to stay in natural, in jungle, and we were not dying, and I did not bring my children, my daughters to die in jungle. They did not feel bad, they were very happy, they swam in waterfall, they lived, had 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."

The Discovery That Led To A Rescue Operation

Forest officials stumbled upon the family on July 9 during a routine patrol following a landslide alert. Noticing clothing and bags near a rocky outcrop, the team found Kutina meditating inside a cave with her daughters.

Authorities immediately relocated the trio to a local ashram in Kumta, then shifted them to a government-run shelter in Karwar. As of the latest reports, they are housed in a restricted centre in Tumakuru, awaiting deportation formalities in coordination with the Russian embassy.

According to immigration records, Kutina had overstayed her visa by nearly eight years. She now faces deportation under the Foreigners Act, with Indian officials stating that legal processes are underway.

Officials have clarified that her children, born in India, are also considered foreign nationals under the law. Until the Russian authorities issue travel documentation, the family will remain in government custody.