An Awakening for a Planet

A Message from the Founder of Dohrnova Turrina

Where It All Began: The House I Was Born In

I was born in a village house with an animal stable below and people living above. That home was built on balance—of life, of necessity. Our beds were filled with bracken, and quince branches were used as teaspoons. Everything came from nature and returned to it.

My mother, having lost a son and given birth to seven children before me, prayed not just for a child—but for a boy. “Let him be a snake-headed one if he must,” she said, “just let him be a boy.” So I was born into the burden of expectations.

They placed chicks in my room while my mother went off to work the garden. I was a child who wasn’t allowed to play football. So, I learned instead to speak with nature. I listened to rocks to understand whether they’d break. I observed frogspawn transforming. I traveled on leaves floating in water. I learned the language of soil, water, and sky.

The Art of Creating From Nothing: What My Mother Taught Me

My mother never bought detergent—she used river sand. No sponge—just netted sacks. Corn cobs became brushes; wood ash became cleaning powder. Plastic bags were never thrown away.
What we had was what was "by our side"—the forest, the field, the garden.
From her, I absorbed the sacred elegance of living without consuming.

Turning Points: The City, Education, Work, and Fatherhood

My first big rupture came when I left the village for the city. Then came university, becoming a teacher, marriage, children... Life transformed me. But I never let go of my bond with nature.

When a compost machine arrived at my school, I wrote a project. I failed—but I didn’t give up.
I began to witness climate change in my own village: snowfall came late, insects changed, trees fell ill.

In Search of Answers: The Path to Sustainability

My quest led me to the world of sustainability. I joined UNSSC programs. I asked myself,
“What can I do?”
The answer was simple but profound:
First, I must change myself. Then, I must start a movement.
And so, Dohrnova Turrina was born.

A Call to Action: Let’s Do This Together

This is not a one-person journey. It belongs to all of us. Together, we must rediscover how to live in harmony with nature.

It's not just a piece of trash—it’s the waste of 8 billion people that pollutes the Earth.
But those same 8 billion can come together and save it.

Dohrnova Turrina is the name of that responsibility. It is the call.
And maybe, just maybe...
This message is your awakening.

Note: Dohrnova Turrina is currently leading the founding of an association dedicated to promoting sustainable living.