Top 10 Survival Channels in Eastern Europe

No one doubts that someone like Bear Grylls knows how to survive in the wild. But as a Brit, he has never had to do so under Soviet occupation. And that raises a significant question: what's more challenging—starting a fire and scaring off a hungry bear, or breaking free from Kremlin chains? For anyone genuinely interested in survivalism, it's essential to pay attention to Eastern European experts.

Many of them—especially the older ones—are used to surviving not just during weekend trips into nature, but throughout their entire lives. If these people, like the Poles, survived the division between Stalin and Hitler, or like the Czechs, endured Operation Danube, or like modern-day Ukrainians, lived through Bucha, Mariupol, and Bakhmut, then they, more than anyone else, understand the importance of honing survival skills. They fear no scenario of civilization collapse, because they have long been prepared for it.

Burst

Ever since Philip K. Dick and other 20th-century science fiction writers described a grim and dark future, survivalists around the world have been preparing primarily for an inevitable post-apocalypse. However, Ukrainians have been living in it for the past 2.5 years. The Russians have destroyed their energy system and regularly terrorise Ukrainian cities with rocket and drone attacks. As a result, every Ukrainian has unwittingly become an expert on quality rations, quickly packing a go-bag, setting up life with prolonged power outages, and knowing the protocols for a nuclear explosion. For the latter, the main task is to survive the first 24 hours. How to do it correctly is explained by Ukrainian blogger Burst on his channel.

Bushcraftowy

Classic survival means surviving in the forest. When grocery stores stop operating, the lights go out, and the sewage systems fail, there will simply be no point in staying in the cities. People will rush to move to the countryside en masse, where they still have a chance to survive. But this is only possible if they possess the necessary skills, such as bushcraft, camping, forest cooking, and so on. For many years, the Polish survivalist from the YouTube channel Bushcraftowy has been teaching all of this. He explains, for example, how to survive a night in a winter forest when the temperature drops to -20°C, and you have no sleeping bag, tent, or weapons to scare off predators.

Sir Zhovtok

If you still plan to survive in the urban jungle in the event of a civilization collapse, in addition to stockpiling food, water, and batteries, you will need some autonomous transport. Because, as you understand, buses, trolleys, and trams won’t be running, and calling a taxi will be problematic. The best option for quickly visiting other survivors on the opposite side of the city and engaging in mutually beneficial barter will be a regular bicycle. How to choose a reliable bike, maintain it properly, and which multitools are needed for repairs—all of this is explained by Ukrainian EDC blogger and urban survivalist Sir Zhovtok on his channel.

At Ihor's

Accurately predicting the specific situation in which you might have to fight for your life one day is a difficult task. Anything can happen. For example, you may prepare for survival in the forest, but a nuclear apocalypse forces you into underground sewers, where you have no idea what to do. Therefore, Ukrainian survivalist Ihor conducts experiments on his channel, exploring survival in various situations. Here, you’ll learn how not to die in a smelly sewer after the end of the world, how to build a raft and reach other survivors, how to construct a treehouse, and how to feed yourself with just a standard fishing kit.

Universal Survival

This team of Polish survivalists has been conducting training worldwide for many years—mainly in remote and dangerous corners of the wild. While other bloggers focus on rehashing well-known tips, the experts from Universal Survival rely on their own experience and promote skills and knowledge that you won’t find anywhere else. Their videos will particularly appeal to fans of the "Rambo" franchise, as Polish experts have thoroughly dissected the survival style of the legendary Vietnam War veteran. Now you, too, can learn how to choose a knife in the style of John Rambo, craft a bow for hunting, set up an ambush, or build a trap for people.

Adventurer

If civilization falls, many things will lose their value, such as money. However, some things will always hold value in human communities, no matter what happens—like precious or semi-precious gemstones. If, while surviving in the wild, you learn not only to find food and clean water but also to scout for valuable minerals, you could become a true oligarch in a post-apocalyptic world. How to pan for gold and where to find crystal, chrysoprase, garnet, or amber is explained by the Polish survivalist Kajetan Wilczyński, who has 10 years of experience, on his channel.

idIsi (edcukraine)

Every survivalist actively preparing for the end of the world is, of course, a paranoid. But everyone else who isn’t preparing and simply believes that the wise leaders of their countries will never allow any apocalypse to happen are, of course, idiots. So the choice is simple: be either a paranoid or an idiot. If you choose the first option, then you’ll definitely like the Ukrainian channel idISI, dedicated to EveryDayCarry kits. Swiss knives, all-powerful multitools, pocket flashlights, air pistols, pepper spray, ergonomic wallets, tactical pens, and a bunch of other stuff like fire starters, electrical tape, or a paracord spool—if you stuff all of this into a special pouch and carry it with you, the obsessive idea of the need for daily survival in the urban jungle will not only become a creepy paranoia that scares off beautiful girls but also a real way of life.

Olchič

The only way not to dramatise your survival training is to turn the whole process into a game and exciting challenges. That’s exactly what Czech blogger Olchič does. Surviving in an ice igloo for 24 hours, embarking on a mountain expedition with just one match in your pocket, or experiencing all the hardships of a caveman’s life—these are the challenges Olchič sets for himself. They may seem unserious and childish, but who said that when the end of the world comes, it will be the adults who survive and not the children?

Cezar Machidon

Some survivalists decide not to train for life after the apocalypse but to simply live as if the end of the world has already arrived. A prime example is Cezar Machidon, a Romanian "escapee from the system" who settled in the highlands of the Carpathians, where there are no roads, electricity, running water, or neighbours. Instead, there’s a charming wooden cabin and a canoe that Cezar loves to paddle. However, there’s also a hungry bear that’s been visiting the recluse more and more often… If you, too, dream of such downshifting, you can start by buying an old estate in a remote area and restoring it yourself. Here’s a video for inspiration:

Ibis

You can earn a certificate with honours for successfully completing a bushcraft course. You can learn to start a fire in the rain, pitch a tent in a minute, and even talk to birds in their own language. But if there’s a zombie apocalypse or an invasion of some orcs from the East—you won’t survive without a weapon, even if your survival instructor was Bear Grylls himself. You’ll very much need a rifle or shotgun to take down those who come for you. How to choose a reliable American Remington or Turkish Typhoon, and how to use it properly to defend your home from wild beasts (including the two-legged kind), is explained by the firearms experts on the Ukrainian channel Ibis.