About

"Cheeki Breeki" is a catchphrase associated with a quote originating from the first-person shooter survival horror game series S.T.A.L.K.E.R.. Since the release of the game in 2007, the stock line often said by non-playable characters of the Bandit factions has become a subject of online parodies among the fans of the game.

Origin

In the 2007 first-person shooter game S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl, which takes place in an alternate reality where a second nuclear disaster at Chernobyl, Ukraine triggers an epidemic-scale mutation caused by radiation exposure, non-player characters (NPCs) of the Bandit faction repeat several stock lines in Russian language. Among them is "А ну, чики-брики и в дамки!" (phonetically: A nu chiki-briki i v damki! / "One, two – you're on top!"), a part nursery rhyme and a part idiomatic expression that translates to "Put a fucking bullet in his forehead," which is also referenced in a "Russian chanson" tune broadcast on the Bandits' radio transmission. The tune is loosely based on actual song called Хоп, мусорок (phonetically: "Hop, moosorok"; "Heyho, little cop") that gained memetic popularity in Russia around the time when S.T.A.L.K.E.R was released.

Spread

On December 12th, 2011, YouTuber ^[9] TheIronTyrant uploaded a video titled "Meet The Bandits," which features Russians dancing to the music and Bandits' quotes from the S.T.A.L.K.E.R game series, including "Cheeki Breeki." As of August 2017, the video has around 2.9 million views views (video has since been deleted, shown below is a re-upload from a different channel).

On July 28th, 2012, an image (pictured below, left) translating and explaining the meaning of the phrase popped up in a S.T.A.L.K.E.R.-related discussion thread^[1] on 4chan's /vg/ (Video Games – General). Later that same year, on October 15th, Tumblr user 45-70govt posted a derivative of the "How About I Slap Your Shit" which is reaction image featuring the quote (pictured below, right) ^[2].

On June 19th, 2015, Urban Dictionary ^[4] user Chairman Moka defined "cheeki breeki" as "A quote used by NPCs in S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Shadow Of Chernobyle. The full quote is "А ну чики брики и в дамки!" Which in phonetic english is "A nu cheeki breeki iv damke." It translates into english into "One, Two- You're on top!" In reference to checkers of stacking to make a king. It is a metaphor for having the advantage, to flank, etc. It was later put into a viral video of Russians dancing." The post (shown below) received more than 890 upvotes in two years.

On October 5th, YouTuber^[10] apartje. posted a video entitled "Cheeki Breeki Hardbass Anthem," which plays a remixed techno song with audio clips from the game. The post (shown below) received more than 7.9 million times.

On January 11th, 2016, YouTuber^[11] Life of Boris released the first of a series of videos of people dancing to the apartje's Cheeki Breeki song over the original "Meet the Bandits" song. The post (shown below, left) has received more than 2.7 million views in a year and a half. The following year, the Life of Boris^[12] posted a sequel to the video, which plays the song over more video of Russian people dancing. Within eight months, the video has received more 1.4 million views.

Various Examples

Search Interest

External References