DD-647Mediaalso HistoryFiled Last updated

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.

VideoWrite-up5 sources

What should you know about Kazotsky Kick?

Quick facts. Each one stands alone and has a stable ID you can cite.

  1. The Kazotsky Kick taunt arrived on July 2, 2015.

    DD-647-F01 · Write-up · Exhibit A (A 2015 taunt)
  2. The squat-kick step is called the prisyadka.

    DD-647-F02 · Write-up · Exhibit C (The step)

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 ·

Video coming soonKazotsky Kick · Instagram Reel
Kazotsky Kick: Squat, Kick, Repeat Instagram Reel · · 18.5s

The write-up

Squat, kick, repeat. The folk-dance step behind a famous Team Fortress 2 taunt.

  1. 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.

  2. Exhibit B

    The game's own description

    The official TF2 Wiki calls the taunt a hopak.

  3. Exhibit C

    The step

    The prisyadka is a squat with alternating leg kicks, done with a straight back.

  4. Exhibit D

    Cossack roots

    Britannica traces the hopak to the Zaporozhian Cossacks, and it's full of leaps, squatting kicks and turns.

  5. 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.

  1. When was the Kazotsky Kick added to Team Fortress 2?

    1. July 2, 2015
    2. October 10, 2007
    3. January 1, 2020
    4. 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)

  2. Which dance does the official TF2 Wiki say the taunt is?

    1. The hopak
    2. The tango
    3. The polka
    4. 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

  3. What is the squat-kick step called?

    1. Prisyadka
    2. Pirouette
    3. Moonwalk
    4. 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)

  4. Which group does Britannica say the hopak began among?

    1. The Zaporozhian Cossacks
    2. Vikings
    3. Roman soldiers
    4. Mongol archers
    Show the answer

    Answer: A. The Zaporozhian Cossacks Originally a men's dance. Source: Write-up · Exhibit D (Cossack roots) · Britannica: Hopak

  5. Which company makes Team Fortress 2?

    1. Valve
    2. Nintendo
    3. Ubisoft
    4. 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

Markdown version

Cite a single fact by its ID, for example DD-647-F01 → https://detailenjoyer.com/case/kazotsky-kick/#DD-647-F01