Unable to travel back to Moscow amid India’s nationwide lockdown earlier this month, a 31-year-old Russian woman, Tatiana Kermin, was stranded in the Indian state of Kerala. However, a Kerala family came forward to help the stranded tourist who was cashless and could not find a place to stay.
According to an article on tourism news website tourismnewslive.com, Kermin is a yoga teacher who was “on her maiden visit to Kerala”. She was due to fly back to Moscow on March 31. With India suddenly declaring a lock-down she was left stranded.
Kermin knew no one in the state and had no accommodation, food or medicine once the lockdown began. According to the report, she said: “My family sent me a bit of money despite their plight. I desperately started looking for a place to rent but many people didn’t offer me accommodation as I was a foreigner."
Kermin found some help finally, when a family in Kerala’s Pathanamthitta district allowed her to rent an apartment.
“I am so thankful to this family. Without them, I wouldn’t be living here… This family met me with smiles on their faces and rented me an apartment,” she added.
Those who shared the story on Facebook praised the family who helped Kermin and said this was the culture of the state and country, to take care of its guests.
Facebook user SJ Santhakumar posted: “That’s our culture dear, you are most welcome to God's own state.”
Apparently, when Kermin’s earlier booked flight was cancelled, her booking amount also got blocked.
She heard that the Russian government would offer some financial help to the tourists locked-down in India. But somehow that help didn’t come through. The Russian government also did not offer any free flights, only commercial flights were available and she could not afford the high ticket prices, according to the report.
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While she is running out of money, Kermin is grateful for the help provided by the health workers near her residence. When she needed some medicines, her host reached out to a doctor and all the required medication was quickly delivered to her. “That was an amazing moment,” she said. Then when she had some dental issues, a dentist working nearby was quick to give her an appointment despite him having a large number of patients to attend to. The health authorities were also quick to prepare a health certificate for her departure.
She added: “My hosts give me psychological support. They keep me updated about the latest news, solve my household issues, and even get me food sometimes. The family spends time with me and they even go to the supermarket to get things for me.”
The humanitarian assistance provided by the Kerala government, was another eye opener for Kermin. She received a bag of goodies consisting of rice, moong dal, lentils, sugar, flour and spices. “That was enough for me to live 1-2 weeks. I couldn’t believe my luck when I saw the package,” she said.
“I feel at home here in Kerala and promise to come yet again to this state of abundance. That’s my word,” she added, according to the report.
