Boris is here to answer some our questions!
Hello Boris! We are very happy that we can make an interview with the biggest Slavic superstar on YouTube, so let´s start. Firstly, can you introduce yourselve for readers?
Hello my name is Boris and I make people laugh. I used to be a programmer and now I am.. not.
Why have you decided to start making videos on YouTube?
I started making videos on YouTube to share a few jokes with a friend of mine. It sort of took off from there.
Do you remember, when you had upload your first video and what was it about?
Of course. The first video was uploaded on my birthday two years ago. It was about Boris the cab driver. Back then it was more of a character saying random stuff that a cab driver would say (I don’t really drive a cab in real life). And as time passed I started showing things more from my perspective. And the every day life of this one slav guy has been entertaining the world ever since. And that’s where the name of the channel comes from.
Now, you have almost 640 000 subscribers and 60 000 000 views on your videos. Did you expect something like that when you have started?
I didn’t expect it to grow at the pace that it has grown. But I did expect at least a few thousand subscribers. Definitely not 640 000. But the growth of the channel has definitely had a good effect on how I do my videos. Because this way I have more people to take feedback from.
When came the biggest impulse in your YouTube career? Because „slavic theme“ is popular for just some last months, or?
I do not think there has ever been a big impulse. It has always been a linear flow of ideas that I put into my videos. The slavic theme has been a popular internet topic since as far back as 2010 for sure. But at some point I just realised that I can put all my knowledge and sense of humor into videos to make something for everyone to enjoy. And I guess having a worldwide audience proves that I’m doing something right.
So, how it is to be a SLAVIC SUPERSTAR?
It feels like being in the center of attention the whole time. People write to me every day, mama keeps saying I am popular now. Life is good. It is nothing extremely new to me because I like being in the spotlight even in social events with friends.
For unknowing fans or western spies, what does „cheeki breeki“ means?
I’m afraid I am to be blamed for transforming „cheeki breeki“ into a globally recognisable catchphrase outside of the original STALKER game. In that game it was just a part of a phrase that an enemy would say from time to time. But before the game got popular, I have heard „cheeki breeki“ being said in a variety of situations. It is hard to translate into English without it losing its meaning, but I think the viewer can get a good idea of what it describes.
You are also travelling across some European countries for review. What was your strangest/funniest/worst/best/most interesting moment and in which country?
I have been to many countries in Europe, but I also grew up in Eastern Europe. So it’s hard to surprise me with strange things. But I think definitely the best VIEW so far that I have had was from the slopes of Jasná when I came down with a snowboard. The worst thing so far is the beer prices in Finland. The best thing is the price for shashlik in Poland.
We are Slovaks, so we want to know, how was your trip to Poprad and how did you felt in this town? Can we expect you sometime in Bratislava, Košice, or somewhere else in Slovakia again?
The town of Poprad was small. Quiet. Even for a tourist place it was pretty quiet and the bars were empty. Which I did not mind because, hey – more beer for me. I will definitely be coming back on my first chance and check out Bratislava. And some more of that Tatra Tea.
So what about Gopnik gaming channel, why have you decided to create it?
The Gopnik Gaming channel is used for long gaming videos. I still upload short and edited gaming videos to main channel. But overall I made the other one because I saw many people not enjoying the 15minute uncut gameplay videos. And this way the people have the chance to watch it on Gopnik Gaming and on their own time.
We think, that you are doing better advertisement for adidas than their ads in TV etc., did they contact you for some co-operation or something similar?
No they have not contacted me and I do not have contract with them. I do agree that their approach to appealing to everyday people has been overlooked. They try to be this high class sports brand that promotes professional athletes even though to the everyday person (like me) they should be focusing on basic comfort and simple style. I have heard through some sources that Adidas is not interested in promoting the gopnik style that is associated with my channel. I guess that’s why they have not contacted me.
What is your best-loved game?
I have many games that I enjoy from time to time. Right now I am playing Kerbal Space Program. But very often I do find myself playing STALKER over and over again. It has many versions and many mods so there is fun for many hours every time.
Are you unemployed now and giving all your time to making YouTuve videos? When you have quited your job, what was your boss´s reaction?
Yes right now I do not have a job outside of making these videos. When I quit my job, my boss was confused about why I am leaving. I guess I did not mention that I was a popular YouTube star. I think he still does not know.
It is tradition here, on our web, that last clause is only for you. Do you want to say something for your fans?
Keep eating shashlik, keep squatting, and stay cheeki breeki!
