Top Russian DIY bloggers and how they invent things
YouTube is full of do-it-yourself how-tos and tutorials that rack up millions of views. People spend many hours watching others create new inventions and try out original ways of doing unusual things. If you’ve ever wondered how to launch a squid or install Microsoft Windows in a Soviet car, these guys can show you how.
Maksim Egorov’s YouTube channel has nearly two million subscribers. Egorov shares videos where he creates metal instruments, builds a house, installs a bear-proof door, and transforms a log into a vertical grill. One of Maksim’s first videos to garner millions of hits shows him making string from a plastic bottle with the help of his invention – a bottle cutter. The blog is just a hobby, Maksim is a St. Petersburg lawyer.
Another DIY sensation with over a million subscribers is Nikita Poddubnov. Nikita generates ideas and immediately brings them to life. His first was a bicycle powered by a chainsaw motor. As his followers grew, Nikita made a series about turning an old Soviet Moskvich car into an electric vehicle. His latest invention is a homemade automobile that runs on sunshine, in which he wants to take a 3,000-km trip.
Aleksey Tsapok is an engineer. He’s been inventing since he was little. Aleksey makes fun things like potato guns, squid launchers, and caramel-fuelled rockets. We asked these trailblazers why they like to invent things, how to start a blog, and why so many people enjoy watching DIY videos.