Exploring Cold-War era Soviet bunkers

During my stay in Ukraine, I explored many abandoned places, including numerous Cold War–era bunkers. Most of the bunkers we found were still in remarkably good condition and filled with items from the Soviet Union. Because these locations were so striking and each told a story of its own, I decided to create a dedicated video about them.

The combination of well-preserved Soviet history and the real threat of Russian airstrikes created a unique atmosphere. Standing in abandoned bunkers filled with original Soviet posters, drawings, gas masks, and equipment, remnants of a time when people lived in constant paranoia about bombs that ultimately never fell, felt eerie in itself. But experiencing these places in 2025, at a time when bombs are falling, and ironically from the very country that once built these shelters, added an extra layer of complexity to the whole experience. It created a scenario so strange that it’s rarely been captured on film.

It wasn’t always easy to document everything properly. I rarely had any background information about the bunkers, and my English wasn’t at its best, as I constantly had to speak broken English to the Ukrainian locals in order to be understood. There was also no signal inside the bunkers, which meant I couldn’t translate texts or look up the objects we came across. Fortunately, the locals were often able to provide some extra context about the items we found.

It also took some getting used to, traveling with a large group while trying to film at the same time. Especially with such cheerful, and spontaneous people, it created a completely different atmosphere and a stark contrast with the seriousness of the locations. Personally, I enjoyed it, but it did make it more challenging to give the video one coherent mood. Since I always film things as they happen, I decided to keep everything in. It required a bit more cutting and editing, but I think the final result turned out well. Hope you like it!