Main points
- Alexey Durnev transformed from a provocative presenter into a successful blogger and influencer, creating several popular columns on his YouTube channel.
- Dasha Shi left the “Durnev +1” project in 2014 and began directing music videos, commercials, and social media spots for well-known brands.
Alexey Durnev / Collage of Channel 24
Oleksiy Durnev is now one of the most successful stars of Ukrainian YouTube. He has transformed from a provocative presenter to a recognizable blogger and influencer. Durnev has managed to rethink his image and remain relevant for the viewer.
Oleksiy Durnev was born in Mariupol and received his higher education in Kharkiv. 24 Channel will tell you more about his career.
At the age of 25, Alexey Durnev began to engage in journalism. In 2011, his author's show “Durnev+1” was released on the “TET” channel (also aired in parallel on the Lumpen production channel).
In this program, Oleksiy and his co-host Dasha Shi approached people on the street and asked provocative or pointed questions. The project's hallmark was trolling and provocations towards stars, the rich, and politicians.
This wasn't the first format about a strange journalist who seems to draw you into a short interview, but behaves in a way that evokes an unusual reaction in you. This has never happened before in Ukraine,
– Durnev recalled in an interview with Masha Efrosinina.
Alexey Durnev and Dasha Shi / Photo “Detector Media”
One of the most famous episodes of “Durnev +1” was a report from the elite Klovsky Lyceum in Kyiv. Oleksiy approached the students and asked them to tell about the summer, what car they had arrived in, and asked questions from the school curriculum.
By the way , one of the heroines of the episode recently criticized Alexey Durnev. Alina stated that the report was edited in a distorted way to show the students in a negative light. According to her, the presenter caused psychological trauma to other students with this episode.
In 2014, Dasha Shi announced that she was leaving the “Durnev +1” project due to creative differences. The program ceased to exist.
Oleksiy Durnev was also an expert in the project “Goddess of Shopping”, and for about two years he worked on “NLO TV” in the morning program “Wake Up”.
In 2018, Alexey Durnev created author's columns on his YouTube channel: “Durnev watches stories”, “Durnev's food”, “Durnev ruins everything” and others.
At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, his YouTube channel was partially transformed: the blogger switched to Ukrainian, reviewed the stories of Russians, and created a column “Oops, what happened?” about the problems of Russians due to the war. One of his newest projects is “Make me scam” about information scammers.
New episode of “Eizha Durnev” with the winner of “MasterChef”: watch the video online
Where is Dasha Shi now?
In 2014, Dasha Shi (full name – Shilova) decided to leave television and began working on her own projects.
In May 2025, she gave an interview to TyKyiv and said that she is currently directing music videos, commercials, and social videos. Dasha Shi is filming for Visa, Rozetka, Carlsberg, the band “Pyrig i Batig”, and other bands and musicians.
Dasha Shi herself described her career as “a long walk with stops at different points.” She was a TV presenter, producer, and screenwriter. She came to directing when she realized that she wanted to not just talk or write, but create entire worlds.