Ten years after being rescued from a remote, bear-inhabited Siberian forest, a girl who survived against all odds has finally spoken about her extraordinary childhood ordeal.
Karina Chikitova was just four years old when she became lost in the vast Russian taiga and spent nearly two weeks alone, sleeping on thick grass and surviving on wild berries. Throughout the terrifying experience, she relied on the warmth and loyalty of her puppy, Naida.
Now 14, Karina has shared her story on Russian state television, admitting that she has no memory of what happened during those harrowing days. Speaking on the program Let Them Speak, she said: “This is my dog Naida. She was with me in the forest, but I don’t remember how we played or how she saved me.”
One of the volunteers who found her, Artyom Borisov, recalled the emotional rescue. “She was sitting deep in the tall grass, completely silent. I didn’t notice her at first. She saw me and reached her arms out,” he said. “She was tiny and incredibly light. She had no shoes, and her face, arms and legs were covered in mosquito bites. She was terrified. The first thing she asked for was water and food, and then she started crying.”
When Karina was finally reunited with Naida, her first words to the dog were heartbreakingly simple: “Why did you leave me?” In reality, the puppy’s decision to return alone to the family’s village is believed to have saved Karina’s life, alerting rescuers that the child might still be alive.
Karina belongs to the indigenous Evenks people of Siberia. In 2014, she unknowingly followed her father into the forest, but he failed to notice she was behind him. Naida stayed with the young girl for nine nights before setting off to seek help.
It has since emerged that Karina’s earliest clear memory begins when she was seven years old, three years after her rescue. Experts believe she may have subconsciously erased the traumatic experience.
Often referred to as a real-life “Mowgli,” Karina became a symbol of survival, with a monument erected in her honor in Yakutsk, the coldest city in the world. However, she has admitted that she doesn’t enjoy the attention her story attracts.
Despite everything, Karina is looking toward the future. She revealed during the interview that she dreams of becoming a doctor, a declaration that earned her a standing ovation from the audience.
Her remarkable story has inspired a popular children’s book and a feature film titled Karina. She has also won a Mini Miss beauty pageant and was accepted into the world’s northernmost professional ballet school — proof that the little girl who once survived alone in the wilderness is now embracing life with strength and determination.
