The developer of the "Capsule of Life" now offers individual mini-shelters for children for UAH 63,000 and for pets for UAH 10,000. He says that there are enough orders - the manufacturer is busy: who buys them?
The massive attacks that the enemy is carrying out on Ukraine are becoming more frequent. In particular, the capital of our country has recently been experiencing significant destruction: missile strikes on residential buildings, combined strikes, fires. In addition to various shelters arranged in public places, almost two years ago, woodworking equipment manufacturer Serhiy Zakharin developed and began manufacturing a metal structure for the «Life Capsule» shelter, which can be installed inside an apartment, house, or office. He told dev.ua what is currently happening with production, how large-scale shelling affects the process and volumes, and what changes the capsules may undergo.
The massive attacks that the enemy is carrying out on Ukraine are becoming more frequent. In particular, the capital of our country has recently been experiencing significant destruction: missile strikes on residential buildings, combined strikes, fires. In addition to various shelters arranged in public places, almost two years ago, woodworking equipment manufacturer Serhiy Zakharin developed and began manufacturing a metal structure for the «Life Capsule» shelter, which can be installed inside an apartment, house, or office. He told dev.ua what is currently happening with production, how large-scale shelling affects the process and volumes, and what changes the capsules may undergo.
About the «Life Capsule»
«Life Capsule» is a prefabricated steel structure designed for installation in high-rise apartments, private houses, office buildings, and premises where it is not possible to install a monolithic structure. The idea came to Sergey Zakharin back in 2014, and he implemented it in July 2023.
The structure is assembled from steel elements, 5 mm thick, which are connected to each other with bolts. The heaviest element weighs no more than 45 kg. The structure is mounted indoors next to the walls and attached to the supporting one. A standard capsule measuring 2 m in length and height, and 1 m to 1.4 m wide for three and six people, respectively. According to the manufacturer’s calculations, after installation, one square meter of surface has a load of 220 kg (depending on the size of the structure). The capsule has a fire resistance of up to 30 minutes. Serhiy Zakharin tested the structure twice: he dropped a concrete slab weighing 1,100 kg from a height of 9.3 m and placed a weight of 43 tons on it.
According to the results of the tests, the manufacturer claims that the Capsule will protect against fragments of building materials, small fragments, broken glass, tiles, furniture, and will also withstand the collapse of a house.
About capsule modifications
According to the developer, the modification and design of the main «Life Capsule» has not undergone significant changes. Only minor improvements for ease of installation and operation.
Sergey Zakharin in the «Life Capsule» (Photo from personal archive)
But Sergey Zakharin has already developed and offers customers small-sized capsules for children. The motivation for the developer to make a shelter of this size was a request from some customers, who were mostly concerned about the safety of their children.
«Life Capsule» (Photo from the personal archive of Sergey Zakharin)
It is manufactured with external dimensions of 1,2×1.4×1.2 meters — in depth, width and height, respectively, and has a mass of 450 kg. Accordingly, the load on the ceiling is no more than 150 kg per 1 sq. m, which approximately corresponds to an average closet with things.
«Smar-capsule», a shelter for children (Photo from Instagram)
The fundamental difference between a child’s capsule and an adult’s, apart from its size, is that it can be opened both from the outside and from the inside, so that if necessary, the door can be easily opened if the child accidentally closes it. In addition, according to Sergey Zakharin, given the smaller height than the large «Life Capsule», the children’s shelter will be able to withstand a greater load.
«Life capsule» for animals (Photo from Instagram)
Another capsule, also designed by the developer, is for even smaller residents, namely one that could house small pets. In particular, a cat or a small dog like a Yorkie could hide in such a shelter.
«Life capsule» for animals (Photo from Instagram)
About production
The production of Sergey Zakharin’s «Capsule of Life» was initially located in Kyiv. However, later, before the beginning of 2025, the developer moved the facilities to a location in the region near the capital. For security reasons, he does not disclose where exactly they were located.
«Life Capsule» (Photo from the personal archive of Sergey Zakharin)
Previously, Serhiy Zakharin said that it takes six hours to make one «Life Capsule.» However, now he and his wife make one structure without painting in two working days. If customers want it already painted, they will have to wait another 3–4 days. Also, the production time depends on the workload, which increases after each shelling of the population.
About volumes
The engineer says he already has enough orders and work to produce the capsules. But he won’t divulge the number of shelters sold, saying it’s a «commercial secret.»
«Life Capsule» (Photo from the personal archive of Sergey Zakharin)
According to him, since mid-2023, when he launched production, demand began to gradually increase and people began ordering personal smart shelters.
«Later, when rumors of a truce spread, there were no orders at all and demand subsided,» the manufacturer adds.
However, with the increase in massive and combined shelling in Ukraine, and especially in Kyiv, he said, people have started ordering the «Life Capsule» again. Serhiy currently has pre-orders for eight designs waiting to be manufactured.
About the team
At the moment, the developer is working on the production of «Capsule of Life» together with his wife, and both of them, as he says, are already «falling off their feet.» According to him, the woman not only deals with documents, but also helps Serhiy process parts on machine tools. According to the developer, it is difficult to find good specialists in the area where the production is located.
To organize full-fledged work with the existing load, as Serhiy Zakharin calculated, he needs about five employees. In particular, those who will work on the lathe, laser and metal bending machine, as well as those who will be able to paint those capsules that are ordered in color. In addition, loaders and handymen are needed.
About price and money
An unpainted «Life Capsule», designed for three people, complete with all bolts and brackets for the floor and ceiling, currently costs 87,000 UAH. The manufacturer does not equip the capsule because, according to him, there are not enough workers for this.
Details of «Life Capsules» (Photo from the personal archive of Sergey Zakharin)
According to Serhiy Zakharin’s recommendations, the customer already performs all the interior finishing work independently or with the help of other contractors. The painted structure will cost 110,000 UAH. Accordingly, the «Life Capsule» for six people will cost 97,000 UAH without paint and 120,000 UAH painted. According to the developer, customers say that his competitors operate in Ukraine, who offer structures supposedly similar to the «Life Capsule», costing about 500,000–700,000 UAH.
«Life Capsule» (Photo from the personal archive of Sergey Zakharin)
The cost of the children’s «Life Capsule» is currently approximately UAH 63,000 unpainted. No one has bought the animal shelter yet, but its price, according to the developer, could be around UAH 10,000.
In addition, Serhiy Zakharin says that the time is coming when he will need to update the fleet of machines with which he has been manufacturing the shelter structure for almost two years. He has already repaired all the existing machines himself many times. In particular, one of the machines, which will soon need replacing, costs about $40,000, according to the developer.
«Life Capsule» (Photo from the personal archive of Sergey Zakharin)
Despite the necessary expenses that will be required later, Serhiy Zakharin says that he is not looking for investors, but plans to manage with his own funds, but if there are offers, he will consider them.
About customers
Although the developer does not disclose the number of shelter structures he has shipped, he emphasizes that he has received positive feedback from customers. According to him, all customers now stay only in the capsule during shelling, and if we talk about night shelling, then they simply sleep in it.
«Several customers ordered the capsule after the ‘arrival’ occurred near the house and damaged it,» the developer adds.
«Life capsule» for the military (Photo from Instagram)
Among the buyers of large capsules for 3–6 people, several capsules were purchased by a military unit and several families of military personnel, for whom, according to Serhiy Zakharin, a discount applies.
«Life Capsule» (Photo from Instagram)
There is also a customer who purchased a capsule for children and has already left good reviews about it. And the customer’s child perceives his «Life Capsule» as a toy children’s house.
About plans
Sergey Zakharin already has plans and considerations to make an updated «Life Capsule» that could withstand the damaging elements that rockets and shaheeds are loaded with, and not just debris. The developer already has pre-orders for this design from four people, and the design itself is already in the final stages of development.
