Russian Tourist Gets Deported From Bali For Hugging Sacred Tree While Nude
The 40-year-old was arrested for disrespecting local culture.
By Sadho Ram — 18 Apr 2023, 04:30 PM
Recently, a Russian woman, identified as Luiza Kosykh, was deported from Bali, Indonesia after photos surfaced of her draping herself nude among the roots of a 700-year-old sacred tree to be "one with nature"
The 40-year-old woman was sent back to Moscow, Russia from Bali's capital city of Denpasar last Sunday, 16 April, according to Bali legal and human rights agency official I Nengah Sukadana, reported AFP.
Her deportation came a few days after she was nabbed by immigration officials.
The Russian woman appears naked in some photos and covered in a white sheet in others while posing with the tree, known as Kayu Putih in Bahasa Indonesia due to the colour of the tree's huge trunks.
The tree is 700 years old and the Balinese Hindus revere it as sacred. The Kayu Putih tree is behind a small Balinese Hindu temple located in Bayan Banjar in Bali's Tabanan regency.
While the woman posted the photos on her Instagram account on 11 April 2021, the photos resurfaced two years later after a Balinese entrepreneur cum social media activist uploaded them on her account
The Balinese entrepreneur, Ni Luh Putu Ary Pertami Djelantik, commonly known as Niluh Djelantik, uploaded the Russian woman's photos with the sacred tree on her Instagram account on 11 April this year.
In the post to her over 550,000 followers, Niluh Djelantik stated that "Bali is our home" and foreigners who come to Bali and disrespect the land and its culture have no place among the locals.
"Bali is our home. Not yours. Do you think you'll look cool taking naked pictures on our holy trees? Go back to your country if you can't respect our traditions and culture," read the post.
Niluh Djelantik also tagged Luiza Kosykh's Instagram account, which no longer exists.
Screenshot of Niluh Djelantik's Instagram post, calling out the Russian woman.
Image via @niluhdjelantik (Instagram)The 40-year-old Russian influencer describes herself as a "spiritual lover, energy giver, and healer" and claims to be a property investor
She has been using a temporary-stay visa which was valid until December 2024.
She claimed that when she posed for the photos, she was not completely naked as she was wearing underwear, which was later edited out by a friend to make her appear as if she was naked.
She also claimed that at the time, the locals did not stop her or inform her that the tree is sacred.
