Russian Paraplegic Builds Himself a Terrifying DIY Elevator

32-year-old Russian paraplegic Dmitry Bibikow must have really trusted the guys who owned the building he moved into. Although the building did not have an elevator and Dmitry’s apartment was on the 5th floor, he went through with the purchase when the building owner promised to have an elevator installed. Six years later, Dmitry and friends took the situation into their own hands and rigged up the necessity that the building’s owner must have been too busy to get taken care of.

It’s no glass-enclosed luxury machine, but the DIY elevator, despite looking terrifyingly DIY, seems to work well and can be operated electronically. How’s that for high tech? In addition, Dmitry says that he can even beat people in a race up to the 5th floor, an accomplishment I think he totally deserves after six years of essentially being held captive by those very stairs. It’s like they say, “necessity is the Mother Russia of the invention of DIY elevators.” That’s what they say, right?

(via Gizmodo)