Modern Robinson Family On A Deserted Island In Russia

For more than 20 years, the Korol family has not had any neighbors on the island of Yelena, which used to be the base of a Soviet intelligence unit.
Modern Robinson family on a deserted island in Russia
No TV, no computer, no Internet, no smart phone - few people could imagine a life without such basics in the modern world. But for the Korol family (which means "Emperor" in Russian), the common items in modern civilization don't really matter. For more than 20 years, electrical engineer Boris, scientist Nina and 40-year-old son Nikolai have lived on the remote island of Yelena, near the city of Vladivostok, Russia. What has made them leave society and have no intention of returning? Ivan Chesnokov, journalist and photographer from St

. Petersburg It was Petersburg, who understood this better than anyone else, when he visited the Korol family twice in 2016 and 2017.
Once held a strategic position on the map of the Soviet army, Yelena was top secret until the late 1980s, when the intelligence forces left the radio technology base on the island. Back then, Mr Boris was floating on an archaeological research ship.



Her husband was away from home, Mrs. Nina took her six-year-old son Nikolai to Yelena Island for a holiday and fell in love with the place immediately.
"At first, they had no intention of living as hermits or settling down in a secluded place like this," Ivan explained about the story of the Korol family on Russia Beyond. “This island impresses Nina with the abandoned buildings, buildings and old military warehouses. In addition, the scenery is beautiful, the surrounding is immense water, birds chirping all day, the ancient streets covered with yellow leaves when autumn or snow in winter, ”he said. The Boris and his wife regularly go to the island every summer, but it was not until 1996 that they decided to "move the gate" to Yelena. The main reason is because of their son's health Nikolai was in a motorbike accident and was in a constant coma.



On the day he woke up, he couldn't say a word or get up and take a step. Mr. and Mrs. Korol asserted that only life on the island could help their son recover, and so they left everything on the mainland to go to Yelena.
Since then, the Korol family became the only household on the 1.45 km2 island, taking care of the landscape, protecting the land and preserving heritage. They originally lived in a house left over from the life of Boris' great-grandfather, who used to work as an electrician on the island. A fire destroyed the house, and they moved into a nearby 19th-century gunpowder cellar.



The dark cellar is 30x20m wide, but gradually it has everything needed for a family: from the fireplace to the bed Mr. Boris built himself, the furniture from the abandoned buildings on the island. Stacks of books, radios, old items that Mr. Boris brought back from archeology tours, a few pairs of deer horns ... in the cellar create the impression of a lively space with timeless beauty.
Korol's family has nothing to complain about with his life.



"There, they have a place suitable for all kinds of research activities from biology, aquatic environment, engineering or history", photographer Ivan quotes Mr. Boris. As for Nina, she pursued her life's goal - preserving the nature and historic heritage on the island, as well as taking care of her family's private land.
Ivan thinks that the Korol family find a more relaxed life on the island, there is more for them to do while living in the city of Vladivostok. “People who spend all day indoors are no different from slaves. It was a slow and steady kind of suicide, ”said the journalist from St. Mary. St.



Petersburg said. Although they do not care much about the outside society, the Korol family always welcomes visitors to the island such as schoolchildren or journalists. "When I was there, a friend also came to play, he was the leader of the regional cultural heritage conservation association," Ivan recalls.
The road from Vladivostok to Yelena is not an easy one. It takes about 30 minutes to drive to the end of the Russian territory on the mainland, then take a boat across a narrow canal, or walk on the ice in winter.
Thanks to his peaceful life on the island, Nikolai's health gradually improved, and he was able to talk and walk, even though it was difficult. Ivan revealed that Nikolai also regularly visits the mainland, he wants to contact more people and can find a loyalist.
Currently, the Korol family lives on the pension of Boris and his wife, as well as the disability pension that Nikolai receives.



Occasionally, Ms. Nina still goes to the mainland to shop in the grocery store, even though she grows her own vegetables.
With accusations of illegally misappropriating the cellar on the island of Yelena, the local authorities ask Korol's family to visit their apartment in Vladivostok more often. But Mr. and Mrs. Boris have no intention of moving back to their old home. "Who will look after the island, if not us?", They said of disagreements with local authorities.
According to Pham Huyen / Vnexpress
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