Kazotsky Kick
Short answer: 'Kazotsky Kick' is the name of a group taunt in Valve's game Team Fortress 2. It was added on July 2, 2015, in the Gun Mettle Update.
Any class can perform it, and other players can join in. The official TF2 Wiki calls it a hopak set to a fast folk tune, with variations for each class. The step itself is the prisyadka (also spelled prysiadka), a squat step in which the dancer drops onto the balls of the feet and kicks the legs out one at a time while keeping the back straight. The squat-kick step comes from folk dance of the former Russian Empire and Soviet Union, including the Russian prisyadka and the Ukrainian hopak; the game wiki calls the taunt a hopak. Britannica traces the hopak to the Zaporozhian Cossacks and describes improvised leaps, squatting kicks and turns, and Dictionary.com calls the prisiadka the signature step of the kazachok, a Cossack-style dance. The name 'Kazotsky' isn't a traditional dance name; it's best known from the game. The footage shows men in Soviet-style military uniforms doing squat kicks in what appears to be a colorized archival film. The source doesn't identify the clip, so the case doesn't either.
What should you know about Kazotsky Kick?
Quick facts. Each one stands alone and has a stable ID you can cite.
The Kazotsky Kick taunt arrived on July 2, 2015.
The squat-kick step is called the prisyadka.
Video transcript: Kazotsky Kick: Squat, Kick, Repeat
DID YOU KNOW? The Kazotsky Kick is a traditional Russian squat dance move that gained global recognition through the video game Team Fortress 2, where it was featured as a character taunt. It involves lowering into a deep squat and rhythmically kicking one leg forward while balancing on the other, often alternating legs in time with fast-paced folk music. NOW YOU KNOW!
Burned-in captions, read frame by frame (see transcript.md) · 18.5s Reel ·
The write-up
Squat, kick, repeat. The folk-dance step behind a famous Team Fortress 2 taunt.
- Exhibit A
A 2015 taunt
Valve added the Kazotsky Kick to Team Fortress 2 on July 2, 2015, as a group taunt anyone can join.
- Exhibit B
The game's own description
The official TF2 Wiki calls the taunt a hopak.
- Exhibit C
The step
The prisyadka is a squat with alternating leg kicks, done with a straight back.
- Exhibit D
Cossack roots
Britannica traces the hopak to the Zaporozhian Cossacks, and it's full of leaps, squatting kicks and turns.
- Exhibit E
Folk roots
The squat-kick step comes from folk dance of the former Russian Empire and Soviet Union, including the Russian prisyadka and the Ukrainian hopak.
Questions people ask about Kazotsky Kick
When was the Kazotsky Kick added to Team Fortress 2?
In the Gun Mettle Update.
Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (A 2015 taunt) · Official TF2 Wiki: Kazotsky Kick; Team Fortress 2 (Jul 2, 2015): Team Fortress 2 update released (Gun Mettle Update)
Which dance does the official TF2 Wiki say the taunt is?
With variations for each class.
Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (The game's own description) · Official TF2 Wiki: Kazotsky Kick
What is the squat-kick step called?
Also spelled prysiadka.
Source: Write-up · Exhibit C (The step) · Dictionary.com: Prisiadka; Folk Dance Federation of California, South: Prysiadkas (Michael Herman)
Which group does Britannica say the hopak began among?
Originally a men's dance.
Source: Write-up · Exhibit D (Cossack roots) · Britannica: Hopak
Which company makes Team Fortress 2?
It was released in 2007.
Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (A 2015 taunt) · Official TF2 Wiki: Kazotsky Kick; Team Fortress 2 (Jul 2, 2015): Team Fortress 2 update released (Gun Mettle Update)
Test Your Knowledge
All quizzes →5 questions, all from this case file. Answers are revealed instantly.
When was the Kazotsky Kick added to Team Fortress 2?
- July 2, 2015
- October 10, 2007
- January 1, 2020
- December 25, 2012
Show the answer
Answer: A. July 2, 2015 In the Gun Mettle Update. Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (A 2015 taunt) · Official TF2 Wiki: Kazotsky Kick; Team Fortress 2 (Jul 2, 2015): Team Fortress 2 update released (Gun Mettle Update)
Which dance does the official TF2 Wiki say the taunt is?
- The hopak
- The tango
- The polka
- The flamenco
Show the answer
Answer: A. The hopak With variations for each class. Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (The game's own description) · Official TF2 Wiki: Kazotsky Kick
What is the squat-kick step called?
- Prisyadka
- Pirouette
- Moonwalk
- Jig
Show the answer
Answer: A. Prisyadka Also spelled prysiadka. Source: Write-up · Exhibit C (The step) · Dictionary.com: Prisiadka; Folk Dance Federation of California, South: Prysiadkas (Michael Herman)
Which group does Britannica say the hopak began among?
- The Zaporozhian Cossacks
- Vikings
- Roman soldiers
- Mongol archers
Show the answer
Answer: A. The Zaporozhian Cossacks Originally a men's dance. Source: Write-up · Exhibit D (Cossack roots) · Britannica: Hopak
Which company makes Team Fortress 2?
- Valve
- Nintendo
- Ubisoft
- Blizzard
Show the answer
Answer: A. Valve It was released in 2007. Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (A 2015 taunt) · Official TF2 Wiki: Kazotsky Kick; Team Fortress 2 (Jul 2, 2015): Team Fortress 2 update released (Gun Mettle Update)
Cite this case file
Easterling, Marcus. "Kazotsky Kick." The Detail Department (DetailEnjoyer), case file DD-647, last updated Sep 3, 2025. https://detailenjoyer.com/case/kazotsky-kick/
Permalink: https://detailenjoyer.com/case/kazotsky-kick/ · Last updated
Cite a single fact by its ID, for example DD-647-F01 → https://detailenjoyer.com/case/kazotsky-kick/#DD-647-F01
