Почему все любят Кураж-Бамбей? ЛЕГЕНДАРНЫЙ ПОДКАСТ о юморе, сериалах и планах на будущее

Host: Welcome to the podcast. Today I have Denis Kolesnikov, creator of the Kuraž‑Bombey dubbing project. Denis, it's great to see you.

Denis: Hello, my dear friend. Likewise—great to be here. Let’s do this like we just bumped into each other on camera.

Host: I want to rewind a bit and ask about one of the early curiosities that shaped my path: the phrase “special thanks to Elf Trader.” Somehow that phrase pulled me into bloggers, events, and people started recognizing me as “the Elf Trader” because—I don’t even know who that is—but it stuck. Denis, do you remember how that phrase came about?

Denis: Of course. It was an autumn day—2008 or 2009—and I got a message from a young entrepreneur in St. Petersburg. He traded game currency online and wanted to know when the next episode of How I Met Your Mother would come out. Back then our dubbing ran on donations. He said, “Tell me how much is needed,” and he covered the cost himself so he could see the next episode sooner.

Host: He paid for the episode out of personal interest?

Denis: Yes. He became our only steady, significant donor. So we decided to thank him in the credits. We didn’t use his real name—“Elf Trader” was already his online brand: an elf merchant store he ran selling game items. The phrase — special thanks to Elf Trader — was natural and honest. It stuck because it was sincere and strange enough to be memorable. People still ask who Elf Trader is.

Host: That’s amazing. Tell us how you first got into dubbing. I remember you did the first Big Bang Theory episode for your mother.

Denis: My radio background started early. I loved radio hosts—their voices, the way they transitioned between songs and stories. In high school I organized events, DJed, even wrote rap. After graduating from design school, I saw a local job posting: a radio presenter in Togliatti. I called the number the morning after my graduation party. The girl on the line was surprised, but I got a trial. I read news every hour and then was moved to a morning show because my voice was too lively for news. That morning show ran from about 2004 until 2008.

Denis: One day I found The Big Bang Theory with Russian subtitles on my flash drive and brought it to my mother’s house. She said she couldn’t read subtitles fast enough. I promised I would dub the episode for her. I had a sound card, a mic, and some experience recording for parties, but I’d never made a full dub. That 20-minute episode took me six hours to record—stopping, redoing lines, learning how to pace. She loved it; she rewatched it and showed the neighbors. One neighbor—Zinaida Petrovna—might have uploaded it to a torrent. That’s probably how the episode first spread online.

Host: So a private favor for your mother accidentally became public and sparked everything.

Denis: Exactly. It went on a forum and suddenly thousands were registering each day. We were doing two projects in parallel at first: The Big Bang Theory and Everybody Hates Chris. The latter we fully localized—Russian names, streets, references—so it felt especially local and fun. When people started asking for the next episodes, I realized this was more than a hobby. I couldn’t let them down.

Host: Why do you think your dubbing became so iconic? Was it the shows, your voice, the localization choices?

Denis: It’s a mix. First, those shows were abandoned by other teams; there was a vacuum. I believed in those series and only took projects I loved—authentic enthusiasm matters. Second, my taste matched the content: the geeky humor of The Big Bang Theory resonated with me. Third, our localization style—adaptations, small invented phrases, jokes tuned to Russian sensibility—gave the dub character. And finally, I think people simply liked the tone: friendly, warm, a little mischievous. Ask the audience; it’s their love that turned it legendary.

“I only take projects I myself enjoy—if I can’t pass it through me, I won’t do it.”

“We didn’t expect it to become a brand; it grew because it was honest and fun.”

“Sometimes a one‑off favor—for my mom—became the thing that changed everything.”

From a One‑Man Project to a Recognized Brand

Host: How did Kuraž‑Bombey become a formal brand and how did you transition from hobby to professional work?

Denis: The forum activity convinced me this was serious. At first the site was just a simple hub and a forum. When thousands began registering daily, it became impossible to ignore. I did everything—translations, editing, voice acting—because I couldn’t find people locally in Togliatti with the right experience. Over time, we recruited help: a translator team, a sound engineer, even a physics consultant for The Big Bang Theory—someone named Mark who corrected scientific terms starting around season two or three. That improved translations and credibility.

Denis: In 2010, after juggling radio mornings and dubbing, it became unsustainable. I left the radio job and focused on dubbing full time. Then in 2011–2013 Paramount Comedy approached us and asked to air shows in our version. That made the whole thing official: I became the channel’s brand voice and the project moved from internet phenomenon to broadcast.

Host: Why the name “Kuraž‑Bombey”?

Denis: In Samara region and Togliatti, “kuraž bombey” was a local slang phrase meaning a big, fiery party—something bright, energetic, fun. It fit the voice I wanted for the project. When we later registered it as a trademark, we kept the spelling and the hyphen to avoid any geopolitical confusion with Bombay/Mumbai.

Craft, Catchphrases, and Why the Voice Mattered

Host: You created so many memorable lines and choices—bugagashen’ka as a translation of “bazinga,” the Elf Trader credit—how did those evolve?

Denis: Sometimes they came from me revising translations line by line. Other times translators suggested something brilliant. For bazinga, we tried different renditions. One playful option was bugagashen’ka—a diminutive, almost silly word that felt right for Sheldon’s smug catchphrase. We recorded multiple takes, the sound engineer and I picked what landed best, and the audience made it a meme. A small, almost throwaway editorial choice can grow into cultural glue.

Host: And your voice—how did it become the signature?

Denis: I never trained formally as a dubbing actor. My radio work, party hosting, and performance background shaped my delivery: clear, energetic, and conversational. I adopted roles that matched my vocal strengths. More importantly, I treated each project as something I personally cared about. That authenticity resonates. People prefer a voice that feels human and consistent.

“A small editorial choice—leftover dubbing whim—can become a cultural meme.”

“Authenticity matters more than polish; people sense honesty in voice.”

Collaborations: Paramount, Aviasales, and Beyond

Host: Tell us about commercial integrations—Aviasales and brand voice opportunities.

Denis: Early on, Aviasales wanted to embed branding into episodes. The idea wasn’t purely transactional—it was fans and employees of those companies loving the shows and wanting to be part of the moment. We did brand insertions where it felt organic. For Paramount Comedy, they asked us to re‑dub seasons for broadcast; later I became the channel’s promo voice and occasional on‑camera ambassador. These partnerships shifted the project from volunteer creativity to professional work—and that meant both financial stability and new constraints.

Host: Did you ever regret turning fun work into a job?

Denis: Sometimes. When a big advertising contract required constant output across many series, the work became routine. The fun was mostly in the actual recording hour; everything else—editing, translation, admin—was repetitive. At some point I chose not to sign new contracts of that scale because the financial gain didn’t compensate for the loss of creative joy.

Early Life, Music, and MTV Contest

Host: Quick aside—before dubbing, you had a rap phase and even won an MTV contest?

Denis: Yes. In 2002 I participated in an MTV contest (a promo around Eminem’s album). I advanced to the final, and the prize was a trip to San Francisco to attend the Eminem concert and the whole festival lineup. I remember the surreal feeling of what seemed like a second life—meeting people like Ivan Urgant then, watching long festival sets. It gave me confidence and stage experience, but as life progressed, priorities changed. Music stayed as a hobby; dubbing became the career that fit my temperament and opportunities.

On Location, Moscow, and Why You Stayed in Togliatti

Host: Many thought you should move to Moscow—why didn’t you?

Denis: I’ve always loved the balance of travel and home. Moscow trips are fine for work and meetings, but living there permanently felt like trading the life I liked for something else. In Togliatti I’m at home; it’s where the studio, the people I enjoy being around, and my rhythm are. I value simplicity and creative control over chasing metropolitan prestige. Money and flashy things were never the primary goal—enough to live comfortably and buy musical gear is perfect for me.

Host: You’ve had offers and friends pushing you. Any regrets?

Denis: Not really. I appreciate the reach and network in Moscow, but keeping distance helped preserve the core of what I do. It kept some of the kuraž intact.

New Projects, Spin‑offs, and Future Plans

Host: What’s next? You’ll dub the new spinoff, The First Marriage of Georgie and…?

Denis: Yes, the new Young Sheldon spinoff—officially the first marriage of Georgie—is confirmed for the U.S. fall schedule and I will be part of the dub. They’re bringing back many characters; it will be a multi‑camera sitcom again, with live laughter—more of the Big Bang vibe. I’ll do it because I still love that universe.

Host: Have you considered dubbing stand‑up or short comedy pieces—Jimmy Carr, for example?

Denis: Definitely. Translating stand‑up is challenging but doable. It requires adapted jokes, pacing, and rhythm—what we call “timing” and “laying” the lines so they fit the original delivery. Short clips or curated reels are an attractive way to start: two‑minute snippets, weekly highlights, sponsored formats that don’t cheapen the voice. I’ve kept a stash of short funny clips I’d like to adapt. If the right partner appears, we can launch a series of short dubbed stand‑up clips or humor formats.

“If the right partner appears, short, well‑crafted humor clips could be a great way to reconnect Kuraž‑Bombey with a new audience.”

Work Today: What You Do and What Matters

Host: Today, what’s your main work?

Denis: It’s a mix: donation‑supported dubbing of series, brand voice work, guest hosting, producing music as a DJ, and occasional corporate gigs. The majority of mainstream dubbing for major U.S. studios has shifted to legal streaming platforms; I still work with services that license content. I avoid gambling and questionable integrations. The main thing is to keep creative control and do projects that spark joy.

Host: Do you want to build a team—“Young Kuraž‑Bombey” voices and a legacy?

Denis: I’ve thought about legacy. The issue is that Kuraž‑Bombey became associated with one vocal personality—the brand voice. Creating a “junior” troupe is possible, but we’d need to preserve the ethos: authenticity, humor, and editorial taste. That requires mentorship, careful casting, and a clear identity. I’m open to it, but only if it feels true to the spirit.

Principles and Advice

Host: Any personal principles you live by?

Denis: Balance—work and life, family and projects. Be kind to others, even to those who are not kind to you; cruelty doesn’t improve anything. Be honest with yourself and with others. If you have problems, get professional help—therapy is a resource many people underestimate. Don’t chase flashy things at the expense of sanity or joy.

Host: Any last words about the phenomenon of pirate dubbing becoming legendary again?

Denis: The internet ecosystem is different—there’s far more content and many more dubbing teams. The novelty effect is less; competition is bigger. Yet audiences still gravitate toward voices and localizations that feel honest. If you make something with care and personality, people notice. Today, faster donation systems and platforms make it easier to fund projects—but it still comes down to taste and authenticity.

Host: Denis, thank you. This was fantastic. Any final shout‑outs?

Denis: Thanks for the invitation. Special thanks to my fans for decades of trust, to folks like the original supporters who donated so we could continue, and to the people who collaborated from the early days—translators, engineers. And of course, special thanks to the Elf Trader—in voice and spirit.

“If you feel stuck, therapy is not weakness—a conversation can save more than you think.”

“Do what you genuinely enjoy. Even small authentic choices can become cultural touchstones.”

“Balance is the real pursuit—try to keep life, work, and joy in harmony.”

Host: Special thanks to Denis Kolesnikov and the Kuraž‑Bombey studio. That’s our show for today.