Russian Woman and Two Children Found Living in Cave in Southern India

A Russian woman and her two daughters were discovered by police living in a cave on Ramatirtha Hill, a tourist site in Karnataka, southern India, according to local authorities. The woman, identified as Nina Kutina, 40, and her children, aged six and four, had been residing in the cave for more than a week before being found during a routine police patrol on July 9.

Police officer Sridhar S.R. stated that Kutina had previously worked as a Russian language tutor in Goa and was found meditating by candlelight in the cave. "It is nothing but her love for adventure that brought her here," Sridhar said. Officers also found images of Hindu deities on the cave walls and makeshift curtains at the entrance.

Kutina and her children were moved to a detention facility for foreigners living illegally in India, as authorities begin the process of repatriating them to Russia due to an expired visa. In a message to friends, Kutina reportedly wrote that their "peaceful life in the cave has ended — our cave home destroyed," according to a police statement. The Russian Embassy in New Delhi has not commented on the case.