Anti-nuclear shelters are already being ordered by the middle class, as the builder says
The conflict in Ukraine scared the Czechs so much that they thought about their safety, writes iDnes. They have awakened a huge interest in the construction of underground shelters. In addition, people buy suitcases with things "as a last resort." There are masks, filters, suits, dosimeters, sleeping bags, water filters and all sorts of things for survival.
Lubor Chernoglavek (Lubor Černohlávek)
The company Tebrix from the Czech Liberec specializes in anti-nuclear shelters and is now literally overwhelmed with work. "There is an opinion that I am trading fear, but this is not true. You fasten your seat belt in the car just in case," says the owner of the company, Michal Terenedi.
iDnes: Last week, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that even if the Russians use weapons of mass destruction only in Ukraine, it could have "terrible consequences" for the population of NATO countries. He said that chemical or radioactive clouds could cross the borders of Ukraine. Have you noticed that such statements cause people to have a surge of fears for their future?
Michal Terenedi: Since the operation began in Ukraine, we have received about 150 phone calls a day. People mostly ask how you can protect your home, for example, from radioactive fallout… We had large suitcases on wheels with things "in case of emergency" in our warehouse. There are masks, filters, suits, dosimeters, sleeping bags, water filtration devices and all sorts of things for survival. As a rule, we sold two or three a year, because such a suitcase costs one hundred thousand crowns. And three days after the conflict began, we sold 140 of them — all that were in stock.
— Did people also have an interest in underground anti-atomic shelters?
— It's not that orders have fallen on us because of the start of Russia's operation in Ukraine. We had a schedule of orders for this year and for the whole of next year. For example, now we are finishing a shelter for a family with an area of 240 square meters. The production stage lasted six months, and three more months are required for excavation work. And we have a lot of such orders. Fortunately, some rich people have been reasonable and moved their large orders to next year, so we have time to make small shelters that are in significant demand. By the end of the year we plan to build 18…
— Do you think more and more people understand that security in Europe is seeming and short-lived?
- of course. People tell us that even if the conflict in Ukraine is resolved, they are still so scared of the situation that they want to take care of their safety. They are preparing for the future.
— When did you start building anti-atomic underground shelters for rich people?
— I came to this by pure chance. I owned a construction company, and one client wanted to convert the basement into a shelter. That was the first impulse. But then the interest was not very great, and we did one shelter every two years. Then their number grew to five pieces a year, and gradually increased. Six years ago, I opened a special company for this.
— Where did you get your inspiration?
— In Switzerland, where a base plate is necessarily laid in basements, and the walls correspond to the parameters of underground shelters. We looked at what armored doors should look like from them, and from there we still import filters for ventilation. In the United States, we looked at the construction system. We used to make shelters out of reinforced concrete right on the site, which is unprofitable in all respects, because we stayed there for 14 months. Now we produce 90% of the shelter in our workshop and then we transport the equipped modules and pour concrete on the spot. Thus, we spend only a month on the site, which is more convenient, including for classifying construction. Owners often ask for this.
— At what point did the interest in underground shelters increase?
— The migration crisis started, and then there was the coronavirus, when people suddenly realized that the state would not take care of them as they expected. Then a tornado happened in Moravia. Then people called and asked to build deep basements with strong doors so that nothing would happen to them next time. Then the conflict in Ukraine began, and since then we have not stopped answering calls… I tell everyone that Ukraine is a good example of how things happen during hostilities. People hide wherever they can: in the subway, in the passages, in tunnels. Without food, medicines and things. This is exactly what our shelters are designed for, where there is everything necessary for the family, where the family will be safe while you solve problems on the surface.
— Do only the richest Czechs order shelters?
— It used to be so, but now the middle class is also turning to us, including because of the conflict in Ukraine. Some do not have enough money for shelter, and they want to convert at least the basement. We are installing a small filtration system there for a hundred thousand crowns, a generator and strong doors. People have at least an anti-radiation shelter. They have protected themselves from the shock wave and radioactive fallout. They don't need more, because in small rooms the rest is meaningless. Or we agree that we will concretize the skeleton of the shelter, perform preparatory work, and they will order everything else later. We have about 20 such clients.
— How long can you stay safe in the shelter?
— Plan A is an underground shelter where you can hide for a certain period, for a month, maximum two. Your family will be safe. Plan B is to look for a way to fly away later. Wealthy clients always have currency and passports at hand... the main thing is to have enough diesel or gasoline and get to some safe airport. Few people build themselves an underground shelter to survive the apocalypse there.
— Do shelters have standard sizes, or are they always individual in accordance with customer requests?
— Due to the armed conflict, we have allocated three standard small shelters: 20, 30 and 45 square meters. They are the most in demand. In fact, this is one pipe with a length of 12 meters and a width of three meters. They are accompanied by another room with a staircase. Thus, the shelter consists of two parts. We build these "pipes" in three months. There are still large shelters, and the customer chooses the "stuffing" there. Such shelters consist of rooms. The only thing that limits the client is fantasy and money. You can order anything.
— How much does a square meter of underground shelter cost?
— Unfortunately, over the past three months, everything has become very expensive, first of all, iron. A square meter in a 20-meter shelter costs 150 thousand crowns, and in total it costs three million. As for large shelters, a square meter there costs about 120 thousand, and such shelters cost four and a half million crowns.
— What was the biggest shelter you built?
— 850 square meters. It consisted of several parts connected by tunnels. There was a house above them — 1300 square meters of usable area. And it was all for two people…
— Do people order something unusual together with such huge shelters? For example, an underground helipad?
— For one resident of Brno, we have built a 400-meter shelter, which can be reached by car through an armored gate. There was parking for six SUVs. We finished everything, handed it over, and after us an American company worked there, which built a helipad. The principle of construction is simple: a large concrete slab rolls back along the rails and the helicopter can take off ... Since we are building such large shelters, they are also used for other purposes. That's why we make shooting ranges, wine storages, and game halls there. We have a lot of clients who sell gold and diamonds or weapons, and they keep all this there. It's safer this way than keeping it at home in a safe behind a painting. To get to the safe in the shelter, the thief will have to overcome a lot of obstacles.
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— At what depth, as a rule, shelters are built underground?
— Usually the base plate is laid at a depth of six meters. A three-meter shelter is being built over it, and then concrete and earth follow. According to the norms, 120 centimeters of soil is enough to absorb radioactive fallout. But we have clients from Prague, for whom we built a shelter at a depth of 12 meters, and in another case we built at 15 meters. Now we are working on a shelter at a depth of 16 meters. That is, the heads of its owners will be 12 meters of soil. Since the shelter will be large enough (120 square meters), the pit will be huge…
— How many emergency exits are there in such a shelter?
— As a rule, the main entrance to the shelter leads from the house, because it's faster that way. Each shelter also has at least one emergency exit. It should always be taken out where there will be no blockages, that is, away from the ruins of the house. We always install folding hatches for the entrance so that the exit is not then obstructed by any board or wood that would prevent the hatch from being opened. Therefore, the hatches open inwards, and they can be cut out and get out. Large shelters, for example, have four emergency exits. They are masked as soon as possible. Trunks of old trees, stumps, swings, firewood are used. We had a client for whom we built a large 140-meter shelter in an open field outside the city. He "dug" underground, and put a small house on top. For the neighbors, he is a gardener who only spends the night in the house. But he has a huge apartment downstairs. He goes to work, and spends the evenings supposedly in the house, but goes to sleep downstairs, where he has everything he needs. He just chose this way of life.
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— What should be in the finished shelter that you are building at depth?
— In addition to the reinforced concrete shell, which according to the norms should withstand even the impact of a rocket launched from an airplane or helicopter, the most important thing is technology. NBC air filter, battery and spare power source or radio station. It is already configured for all security and rescue services, so it will be easy to call for help. (...)
— Probably, water supply is a separate problem...
— We have our own water filtration system, which we will patent. Even without a preliminary analysis, because we don't care what flows inside, we are able to completely purify the water. At the same time, the necessary minerals will remain in it. This is a unique system. (...)
— How many products should be stored in a shelter?
— I always ask customers for how long they calculate their stocks. As a rule, this is six months, and such a stock will enter a small room with shelves. First of all, these are food packages and bottled water. People store food downstairs and consume it all the time. They have a list, and they know exactly when the expiration date expires, and if necessary, replace a particular product. It's just incredible how disciplined some people are in this matter. (...)
— Have you dealt with the problem of biorhythms of a person who lives underground?
— We teamed up with Gynecologist Medrzycki, a world-renowned expert and inventor of the Vitae light bulb. They are used on submarines and rocket planes, and we agreed that such light bulbs will appear in our shelters. This lighting is able to adjust human biorhythms, which is extremely important underground, because in absolute darkness we are not able to determine time. Thanks to this light, the body knows exactly how to work: in the evening, the bulbs switch from white light to yellowish, and at night they shine red. The discovery was made due to the fact that in a dark room with experimental laboratory mice, the doors were mistakenly left ajar. A second of daylight was enough, and the mice changed their biorhythms, as if it were day.
— Do your clients often turn to you for the so-called "panic room"?
— Such safe rooms are usually ordered by companies, such as banks or watch shops. These rooms are needed so that in case of any threat, people have a place to hide. Close up and call for help. In cottages, as a rule, we convert one of the rooms into a "panic room", where special smoke- and gas-tight and fireproof shutters are installed on the windows. We use systems thanks to which the family can hide, and the aggressor will lose orientation because of the smoke. The room is equipped with batteries, a walkie-talkie, a telephone, and there is also water, food and a set of medicines. Filtered air is brought there, as a rule, from a pipe coming out 20 meters from the house. So in case of a fire, people inside can wait for the firefighters. As a rule, people do not burn in a fire, but suffocate. It is best to think over such a room already at the stage of building a house. Intermediate layers can be made in concrete so that the temperature is not transmitted and so that even in a strong fire no one is burned.
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