Solitary sentinel of Kinaros: A life of resilience and solitude

Irini Katsoturchi is the only resident of the Greek island of Kinaros in the Aegean Sea. She lives with her dog, chickens, sheep, and goats. Despite her solitude, the woman assures that she does not fear living alone.

Irini Katsoturchi - The sole resident of Kinaros Island

Greek Reporter describes this week the extraordinary story of "Mrs Rini," who has lived alone on the Greek island since the death of her husband in 2013.

She was raised on Kinaros, lived on the nearby island of Kalymnos after marrying, and later emigrated with her family to Australia. Upon returning to Greece, the couple decided to settle permanently in Kinaros.

In winter, her only contact with the outside world is a boat that arrives once a week with supplies. Every two weeks, a mailman also arrives. In summer, more boats dock, and their passengers exchange words with the residents.

Greek reporter notes that life on Kinaros is not easy for a lonely, elderly woman

Irini is accompanied by her dog, Siva, and a few chickens. Sheep and goats also live freely on the island.

The Greek service informs that in 2020, Mrs Irini disappeared from the radar for a few days, which mobilised the Air Force and Coast Guard. Contact with the woman was impossible due to a malfunction and lack of power on the island. However, the Greek woman was located by a helicopter that delivered her supplies.

The portal notes that despite living in isolation, the woman got vaccinated against COVID-19. In 2020, the president of Greece, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, visited the island and its sole resident.

The 78-year-old's island has a surface area of 440 hectares (rounded) and belongs to the Dodecanese archipelago, which includes 163 islands. Only 26 are inhabited. The most popular ones include Rhodes and Kos, which have attracted large crowds of tourists for years.

Kinaros is located west of Kalymnos and Leros, but east of Amorgos.