Russian Wife Who Did Dawn Deliveries Instead of Her Husband with Tongue Cancer, Now Challenges Strawberry Farming in Damyang

The amazing Damyang resident, Polina

From nursing her husband battling cancer to working dawn deliveries... The pure love of Polina, a former Russian veterinary student, the 'Damyang resident'.

Broadcast: September 14 (Mon) ~ September 18 (Fri), 2026, 7:50 AM on KBS 1TV

A new house filled with morning sunlight through large windows.

In a rural village in Damyang, a neat brick house and a white two-story house face each other beautifully across a yard. The two-story house, currently under construction, is the home of the Korea-Russia international couple Moon Sang-won (38) and Polina (26), while the single-story house on the opposite side belongs to Sang-won's parents, who moved to the countryside first.

Married three years ago and raising their cute daughter, Harin (8 months), Sang-won and Polina are building their house while traveling between Gwangju and the construction site in Damyang. Beyond designing, coordinating construction schedules, and purchasing materials, they do everything a beginner can do—carrying, lifting, transporting, and applying materials as assistant workers. The reason the couple is volunteering for manual labor in this heat is 'because they have no money'.

The dog cafe business that Sang-won ambitiously started after leaving his job ended in heavy debt and closure due to COVID-19 and a lack of experience. To pay off the debt, the couple worked dawn deliveries together. It was grueling work, starting in the evening and finishing in the morning, but they ran hard, finding reward in paying off the debt. Then, Sang-won was diagnosed with tongue cancer. Suddenly becoming the head of the household, Polina continued dawn deliveries alone at night to earn living expenses while nursing her husband during the day.

The parents-in-law felt heartbroken watching a newlywed bride struggle while caring for her sick husband. They suggested they live together in the new house, offering them a small vegetable garden in front of the house. Around that time, the couple's first baby, Harin, arrived, and they decided to leave everything in Gwangju behind and make a fresh start in Damyang. Therefore, the couple's house faces east. As if to compensate for three years of living with reversed day and night cycles, they are building a bright house with large east-facing windows to be filled with morning sunlight.

Our Polina, who deserves 200 points

The parents moved to the countryside to build a rural house after retirement. They were enjoying a peaceful retired life, growing organic vegetables in their garden and joining a saxophone club for rural residents. The reason they gave their precious, well-tended land to the couple was entirely due to their trust in their daughter-in-law, Polina.

After his son Sang-won traveled to Russia, he began dating a Russian girl. His partner was Polina, a bright university student studying veterinary medicine. After more than a year of long-distance relationship, Polina chose Sang-won over a stable life in Russia and moved to Korea. Since it was a love formed with difficulty, it would have been nice if they could live happily, but the daughter-in-law had to not only work dawn deliveries due to her son's business failure but also take charge of nursing her sick husband.

The parents were moved by Polina's Gangdan, her steadfastness, and her deep love for her husband. Not only that, but they were impressed by her kind words and actions toward others, her beauty enhanced by how well she eats Korean food, and her ability to work more efficiently than her son in any task. Polina is the most beautiful daughter-in-law in the world, who deserves 200 points even if you give her 100.

Heading straight toward hope, Damyang resident Polina goes

The construction is nearing its end. After installing lights and laying the flooring, they feel excited that it truly feels like their own home, but on the other hand, their hearts are heavy. Due to Sang-won's health issues and Polina's childbirth, both are currently unemployed. They are at a loss as to how they will make a living once they move to Damyang.

Since the neighborhood they settled in is a specialized area for strawberry farming, they visit neighboring strawberry farms to seek advice, and having developed an interest while building the house themselves, they are looking into interior design certifications. Fearing they might repeat the same mistake if they jump into something recklessly like last time, they cannot easily decide on a career path, and their worries grow longer every night.

Still, they have something to believe in. For Sang-won, there is his amazing wife, Polina, who overcomes difficulties and hardships steadfastly. Just as they overcame past trials, the two will continue to hold hands and head straight toward hope. Once the house is completed soon, Harin will learn to take her first steps in the yard, and the couple will work hard to find new jobs. The parents feel that farming in the garden will be even more joyful with the pleasure of feeding their children.

We sincerely cheer for Polina, the Damyang resident from Russia, to live a life filled with love and hope in that white new house upon the green meadow. Screening Humanity is broadcast every weekday morning at 7:50 AM on KBS 1TV.

(Photo provided = KBS 1TV ‘Screening Humanity’)

◆ At a glance

· Issuing Institution: KBS

· Category: Screening Humanity

· Distribution: September 11, 15:25

Source: KBS Press Release

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