Yulia’s Story of Survival: The 12-Year-Old Hero Who Saved 34 Children

This is Yulia’s Story of Survival, one of the most harrowing and inspiring stories you will ever read. It’s a real-life tale of courage that seems almost unbelievable, centered on a 12-year-old girl who, after living through an unthinkable tragedy, refused to give up.

In the summer of 2016, 12-year-old orphan Yulia Korol and her twin brother, Dmitri, were given a rare treat: a trip to a summer camp on Lake Syamozero in northern Russia. It was meant to be a joyful escape. Instead, it became a fight for life.

A Storm, a Capsize, and a Fight for Life

On June 16th, 47 children and only four counselors set out onto the massive lake in two boats and a raft. A dark storm was already gathering. The staff, some barely teenagers themselves, either tragically underestimated the danger or were shockingly unprepared.

By the afternoon, the storm hit with full, terrifying force. Twelve-foot waves, like angry giants, rose up and swallowed the small vessels, tossing the children into the freezing, black water. Yulia and her twin brother clung to each other, their hands locked. “Don’t let go!” Dmitri shouted over the wind. They fought for hours, their bodies growing numb in the icy water. But a towering wave finally crashed over them, ripping them apart.

Alone, Barefoot, and Broken

When Yulia woke up, it was morning. She was on a remote, unfamiliar shore, bruised and disoriented. The lake was horrifyingly silent. Her brother was gone. Everyone was gone.

Barefoot, wearing only socks, and shaking from cold and fear, Yulia began to walk.

Her journey was a nightmare. She stumbled through mud and reeds, screaming for help, for her friends, for Dmitri. She found the small, still body of a boy near the bank. Further on, she found another child, this one alive but bleeding and unable to walk.

Tears stung her eyes, but she knew she couldn’t stop. She was their only hope. For four hours, this 12-year-old girl walked, ran, and even swam across a freezing river, her feet raw and bleeding. She was in a wilderness, where wild animals could have been a threat, but her only thought was saving the others.

A Hero’s Welcome

Finally, she collapsed on the doorstep of a house in the tiny village of Kudama. The man who found her, Alexander Zyamov, was stunned. “She was in shock,” he said. “She kept saying children were dead, that she’d tried to help them.”

Her words, and her impossible journey, launched a massive rescue operation. Because Yulia refused to give up, 34 other children were found and saved. And in the midst of the chaos, she received the miracle she had been praying for: her twin brother, Dmitri, was found alive.

Yulia’s Story of Survival is a powerful testament to the human spirit. She is a true hero, a reminder that even in the darkest storms, the smallest among us can carry the greatest light.