Chapter partner?
Oleksandr Kravchonok, the author and host of the “Welding Territory” YouTube channel, invested his experience in motor sports and knowledge of welding in the creation of Vodohray washing and shower complexes. These simple and at the same time wonderful things allow the Ukrainian military to maintain hygiene in the field. An equally important direction of the developer is compact trailers for ATVs, which are necessary for evacuating the wounded in locations inaccessible to a pickup truck. In this interview, they talked about many different interesting things that Alexander was able to share.
Where did the full-scale invasion of Russia leave you? What were you doing at that time?
Before the full-scale invasion, we made equipment for sports fields. Namely, urban parks throughout Ukraine, in particular, VDNG in Kyiv. About 30 cities in Ukraine have already prepared a project for the construction of such sites. We were suppliers of equipment: basketball stands, tribunes, courts, we produced all this. What needs to be welded. And in general, we produce a lot even now, this is boxing equipment and sports equipment in general.
Were you in Kharkiv at that time?
Yes, and around 5 am we were woken up by shelling. We were in Kharkiv for about two weeks and did not leave anywhere. Everyone gathered at my father’s private house and somehow tried to get food and medicine. Because I have a child with a disability and I need to have insulin and everything else in reserve. After all, we did not understand how long it would be, and the shops began to close. Like everyone else, they expected that everything would pass in 2-3 weeks.
But then they started shelling from fighter jets. We lived in the central part of the city near the Metalist stadium, and there were attacks from fighter jets. And I myself saw the sound of a rocket fired by a fighter through the window. Well, after our guys started shooting down these fighters and they started falling on the city, I decided to take my family and children out.
Evacuate?
Evacuate. We were going to the West of Ukraine (to Lviv), but the journey took several days. At first we were received in Kremenchuk. We have many friends, because my father and I are involved in motor sports, and my brother is involved in wrestling.
And what kind of motorsport?
Karting. This is before the war, but dad continues to work.
How seriously are they doing this in Ukraine?
Ukrainian junior Oleksandr Bondarev became the European champion in his category, and now he has joined the Williams Academy. He is not our student, but I know him well. My former student also competes in European championships. And a few more guys who participate there.
Are these people who are building a career somewhere abroad? What about Ukraine?
Well, in Ukraine, yes. Despite the fact that Ukraine is big, motorsport is not developed. There is a section of karting in Kharkiv in several other cities. Father is doing it now. Of course, reaching the European Championship – such programs do not exist, unfortunately. And, despite the fact that the country is very large, the autodromes are isolated, and some of them are generally private. But I think that eventually this topic will move, because motorsport is technically developed, motivated people, people who can further move the state forward.
Therefore, during the evacuation, everything was decided in connection with motor sports. That is, in every place there are friends who accepted, who helped. What are my brother’s friends, what are my friends. When they played sports, they made many acquaintances. Now this community is helping.
She completely collected the funds for the first bath complex. That is, those who were engaged in karting. There are guys who work in the IT industry. In general, go-karting can be done by people of various means.
It so happened that we have two directions – welding and motor sports. I taught at the Kharkiv Mechanical Engineering College. But fate decreed that we got into the welding business.
And how did the idea to create a laundry and shower complex come about?
Transiting through Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk for some time, when Kyiv was freed from the threat, we went there. If I had stayed in Ivano-Frankivsk, there would have been production there and I would have started moving there somehow. But I have more friends and connections in Kyiv, and it’s also closer to Kharkiv. We went to Kyiv.
And there, too, in the line of motor sports, we have an acquaintance, a good friend of the family, Gennadiy Zamula. By the way, my father once trained his son, and he was the champion of Ukraine, the champion of Germany, and even now he is already playing in big series there, Ilya Zamula. We arrived and started to move little by little, we started making some elementary products there.
Did you move the equipment? Do I understand correctly?
Yes, minimally. Unfortunately, it is impossible to transport everything, there is a lot left in Kharkiv. This is a separate story and it is not relevant now.
Hennadiy Zamula actively communicates with the military, I ask, what can we do that is useful, apart from peasants? Everyone will cook them, and it’s obvious, we do it too. He says that the problem is to buy and wash. The existing solutions had another problem – a large size. We needed something mobile and we were able to fit it in a small trailer. Our first complex is generally a bathhouse. Full value.
Classic bath?
So. We thought that people could steam. However, at that time they did not even think that it was necessary to install a washing machine. We were so tired there that we even had a smoke mask. And it was a completely autonomous complex that was powered by a heat generator. That is, electricity is generated from heating, and it powers the pump.
But the military told us that the problem is to dry the clothes and wash them. And we started making the second version. By the way, it also had a shower and bath. And then, literally, ironically, I met the boys. I posted a couple of posts on Instagram and they found me themselves. It was in TRO that they were engaged in this direction. And, literally, the next day they came, saw and asked, who is financing you? I say: with our own funds and in parallel we still work, earn and do. We make it little by little.
And then we were introduced to Vlad Nozdarchev, at that time I did not understand who he was, from which field… I arrived, shot a video, and opened the collection. A month later, the first bathhouse went, and so we started communicating with foundations and military units. Some funding has gone. But we faced another problem, which is that we need to put on the serial rails very quickly. It was necessary to supply two complexes in a month. In fact, you just need to perform many processes at the same time.
And, as I remember now, the first order from us was ordered by TCC from Ivano-Frankivsk. They say: “We need it in a month. You said that you can do two in this time.” I say, we can produce three or ten pieces in a month. We have the experience of such serial production, including on sports fields, when it was necessary to do it very quickly. We used to make cases (metal casings) for charging complexes for electric vehicles. By the way, there are many of them in Kyiv. The infrastructure is developing little by little. We first created the first prototypes, and then produced 300-400 stations, and each of them has my ideas, which are still being implemented today. This experience helped to quickly put production on a serial track.
And now how many per month have you come to?
So far, up to three complexes per month, then we rely on financing. We can, in principle, speed up to 10 complexes per month.
How many people are doing it now?
The whole team is about 20 people. This is accounting, an accountant, and an engineer. Well, we (managers) still perform the roles that are required by the circumstances. There is neither money nor time to inflate the state now.
We already have a negative experience when I inflated the staff on the conditional need for production. Now, if you need to speed up at a point, we already have a pool of contractors in two directions. One is bathing and laundry complexes, and in parallel we are creating carts for evacuating the wounded.
What it is?
Imagine an ATV trailer. On wheels with suspension. It was also placed on Brave Inventors, passed the examination, all that is required. It has features – it is light, has an independent suspension, so that the quad bike does not roll over the injured person, so that he is horizontal.
They are already working at the front, and the guys are calling that they need more, more. It is simply less expensive and easier to produce… We collect it on our own and pass it on. Recently, we passed it on to the guys from Kharkiv, and the information immediately spread to the front, volunteers started calling on the phone, and the guys are calling directly from the trenches, because the wounded person who is sitting, at least somehow, can be evacuated on a quad bike, where a pickup truck will not easily pass. And lying down, well, just no way.
And there are tires like on a quad bike?
No, tires are not needed there. On the contrary, it is better for them to slide to be pulled by his ATV. However, we use new wheels and rims, because our goal is quantity. It is clear that you can buy used disks on the market. Maybe you will find one or two sets, and if you need 40 disks at once in the same size and condition? We also found a supplier of stretchers, a person makes them for us in Kharkiv, already practically in series. Guys from Lviv are calling, asking if this price includes stretchers? Because one stretcher costs almost as much.
Someone bought it, and the military and volunteers are calling, they need more. As many quad bikes, as many carts are needed. Talked with the guy. He said that they are taking them to BC. Now we will make some improvements so that they can carry the ammunition there, and the wounded back.
The laundry-shower complex is a trailer. How much does it weigh, what kind of car is enough for towing?
It is made in such a way that it can be hooked up with a crane, removed from the chassis and placed in a truck (3 tons). Our first order was like that. And in the trailer format, it is easily transported by bus or pickup truck. It weighs up to two tons.
Is it empty without water? Is it not transported with water?
It is calculated that it will be transported with water, but a short distance. When we designed the first one, we planned that it would drive up there, very close. We also spoke with such specialists as Serhiy Malik, who is the first Ukrainian racer to go to Paris-Dakar.
Yes Yes.
Knowledgeable people immediately said that no one will let it go to zero, well, the bathhouse will not go there, the Russian invaders will immediately capture it with a drone and demolish it with something.
And how many kilometers approximately?
Well, complexes are used on the second line. That is why we moved away from the heat generator, because the complex is used where the drone does not fly and where heaters can be used. It makes sense to do smoke masking when there are boilers for heating nearby.
That is, there is already some kind of electricity, access to water?
Yes, of course, it is either water in the houses or access to a well.
Are there any restrictions on water quality?
Water is filtered. You can wash in any water, as much as possible.
Is it necessary to manually fill the system from the well?
No, there is a pump. Our laundry and shower complexes are so fully equipped that we have everything. That is, the military does not need to buy anything.
Is it possible to simply push the hose into the well?
It is equipped with a submersible pump, started the hose, pumped water (with the help of a generator) and it’s ready. Well, as a rule, guys say that she is being disguised. The advantage of our complex is that it is small in size, unlike those based on a container (although we also produce such, recently there was an order for a military unit). A small one can be taken to a destroyed gym or house. It is better to disguise it, because the containers will be found immediately from the drone.
And have you had such cases?
There was an incident. The trailer was not damaged by the shelling, but there was minimal damage from shaking. The guys had to change position quickly, and they drove at full speed. We just have an advantage in what? The frame is fully welded. From the fact that it will move, or some mechanical damage, you can replace the entire cladding, and it will serve again. It is easy to repair, it works very easily there. The tool is included.
Even an ax…
I will say more, even the first laying of firewood comes in the kit, because there are few places where you will have to stop. We are not standing still. We are thinking of new possible options for heating water, we are also talking to guys who also make such complexes, they have a slightly different model. They are also from Kharkiv, and we exchange experience in solving problems.
What are the examples?
For example, the first frosts have passed and the staples in the filters have thawed. The recommendations say to roll up the filter and drain the water. Well, that’s it… Now, to prevent this, an autonomous Webasta heater is worth it, and you just need to fill in diesel fuel and set it to minimum heating.
In the photo and video are Samsung machines. Is this a specific choice, or did it just happen?
From the very beginning, the project was paralleled as an aid to the military, and now it has become the main one. When we assembled there, everyone coordinated with the guys and consulted with specialized specialists. And it also had an impact on who would give discounts. We were given a good discount, and from this we formed the cost price.
Was the discount from some store or from a direct supplier?
No, directly from the manufacturer’s representative.
That is, Samsung gave a discount?
So. Not only the discount, but also availability is important. But there may be other options, recently the complexes also shipped, but the fund said that they will buy them themselves, or someone will give them a washing machine. There is no difference for us, we just exclude it from the cost, and that’s it.
There are still conditions, it must be 9 kilograms, the dimensions are suitable for it to fit in. We still have options if the supply stops. Motorsport has taught us to always have other options.
You have exhibited on this Brave Inventors platform. Are there any results, what do you expect from this?
Although the motorsports community helped us, it was not enough. At that time, not everyone understood what washing-shower complexes were needed for. And the funds said so. They emphasize the means of defeat, drones, weapons, etc. It seems you can do without it. But it is also no less important. And the guys say that the first thing you want on the first and second lines is to try and buy. I just didn’t think that this problem was so relevant. Very relevant.
There is a great need for these complexes, and we are currently working on moving in this direction. Vlad Nozdrachev, who worked in Andriy Fedorov’s team on the Nova Poshta and Monobank brands, and now has his own agency, advised not to scatter, you need to concentrate on one product, namely laundry complexes. Well, to be honest, I was a little doubtful then. We were a little confused that we would be producing a product for the military and it would be a business for us. But then they realized that if not us, someone else would do it, perhaps at three times the cost. We have profitability, but small. However, to stay afloat, you need to increase the number.
Vlad also advised to host wherever possible, including on the Brave Inventors platform. So that we are seen, heard, known about us and this will allow us to move forward. I initially set a business goal to create serial production. But, in his opinion, the real goal is to become the best manufacturers in the country, maybe even the best in the world, because there are no such complexes in the world army. We studied this issue, NATO does not have such small mobile complexes, only on the basis of containers.
We expect the platform to change people’s attitudes. As with posts, this builds credibility. A company that is talked about a lot will get more customers and donations than those that are heard about for the first time.
By the way, you have open individual orders for a bunch of other products: a mobile headquarters, a mobile workshop, a kitchen, a trailer for transporting cars, a water purification complex, and a dental office. Are these your plans or have they already been implemented?
There is a request for these positions from the military and volunteers, but so far we do not know from what source it can be funded. We are able to do it, but there have been no implementation cases yet.
Want to help? Follow the links to the Brave Inventors platform of Ukrainian inventors:
- Washing-shower complex VODOHRAY-1
- Trailer for evacuating the wounded.
Chapter partner?
Brave Inventors is a national platform of inventors and wartime inventions. Here you can place your military inventions, talk about developments and prototypes, find the necessary funding or a mentor, and also get more opportunities to cooperate with manufacturers, enterprises and businesses. You can support inventions by following the link.
