Is a Russian woman’s nine-year odyssey through India’s spiritual landscape a genuine quest for enlightenment, or does it signal underlying mental health concerns that have put her young daughters at risk?
Thank you for reading this post; don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel here!
This question has emerged following the discovery of 40-year-old Nina Kutina and her two daughters, ages 4 and 6, living in a cave in Karnataka State’s landslide-prone forests. Police found the family during a routine patrol on July 9, living in conditions that have raised concerns among officials about child welfare and personal safety.
Police Inspector Sridhar S.R. made the unusual discovery while patrolling the forests near Gokarna, searching for tourists who might have been trapped by recent landslides. He spotted a Hindu deity statue among the vegetation, followed by makeshift curtains made from red saris concealing a cave entrance.
Inside, he found Kutina practicing yoga and meditating by candlelight, cooking on a wood-fired stove, with photos of Hindu deities lining the cave walls. The family had been living in the cave for a week, though Kutina had used it as a retreat multiple times previously.
“Caves are heaven in her mindset,” Inspector Sridhar observed, noting Kutina’s reluctance to leave despite the area’s dangerous conditions, including heavy rainfall, unstable terrain, and venomous snakes.
Investigation revealed Kutina’s complicated journey through the Indian subcontinent. She first entered India in 2016 on a six-month business visa, traveling to Goa, a popular destination for foreigners seeking spiritual experiences. After overstaying her visa by a year, she was permitted to leave in April 2018 and traveled to Nepal.
Government records show she returned to India in early 2020 on a multiple-entry tourist visa, accompanied by two sons and a daughter. Tragically, her elder son, 21, died in a motorcycle accident last year, while the whereabouts of her 11-year-old son remain unknown to authorities.
India has long attracted international visitors seeking spiritual fulfillment, from The Beatles’ famous 1960s meditation retreat in Rishikesh to countless modern practitioners drawn to the country’s diverse religious traditions. Kutina’s case, however, raises questions about where legitimate spiritual seeking ends and potentially dangerous behavior begins.
In Goa, Kutina worked as a tutor teaching Russian language and literature, making regular trips to Gokarna, a town of 20,000 known for its temples and natural beauty. Police Superintendent M. Narayana confirmed she had stayed in the cave at least four times previously.
“She is an adventurer type of person, she knew lots of things about nature,” Inspector Sridhar said, describing her ability to prepare simple meals of roti and vegetable curries in the cave setting.
When initially approached by police, Kutina expressed her desire to remain “in the forest and worshiping God,” according to Superintendent Narayana. Officers eventually escorted the family to a women’s shelter, where Kutina contacted relatives in Russia via email.
“Our peaceful life in the cave has ended — our cave home destroyed,” she wrote, according to police translations. “From years living under the open sky in harmony with nature, we know: no snake or animal ever harmed us.”
On Monday, Kutina and her daughters were transferred to immigration authorities in Bengaluru, Karnataka’s capital. Officials have ordered her kept under “close watch” and are processing deportation to Russia. The family has since been moved to a detention centre in another city.
Meanwhile, her ex-husband has come out to say she left Goa without informing him.
A resident of Israel, Dror Goldstein spoke to NDTV on Wednesday, saying he first met Nina Kutina in Goa about eight years ago, and then fell in love with her.
“We spent seven months in India together, and then we spent more time in Ukraine,” he said. Goldstein said he has been visiting India for the last four years to meet his daughters, Prema (6 years) and Ama (5 years).
“A few months ago, she left Goa without informing me, and I didn’t know where they were,” he said. He had filed a missing complaint and found Nina and their daughters living in Gokarna. He mentioned that she made it difficult for him to spend time with his daughters and that he wants shared custody.
He also said that they had everything they needed, as he had been sending a “good amount” of money to her every month.
Goldstein said he would do everything to prevent the government from sending his daughters to Russia.
“It would be hard for me if they will be taken there,” he said.
Follow the AkweyaTV channel on WhatsApp: http://bit.ly/3I7mQVx
Or scan the QR code:
