Dmitry Puchkov facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dmitry Puchkov
Дмитрий Пучков
Born	Dmitry Yuryevich Puchkov (1961-08-02) August 2, 1961 (age 64) Kirovohrad, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union (now Ukraine)
Other names	Goblin
Citizenship	Russian
Occupation	Writer publicist film translator voice actor
Years active	1997–present
YouTube information
Subscribers	2.75 million
Total views	1.1 billion
Subscriber and view counts updated as of April 2022.

Dmitry Yuryevich Puchkov (born August 2, 1961), also known by his nickname Goblin, is a well-known media figure in Russia. He is famous for translating English-language movies and video games into Russian. He also ran a popular blog and a YouTube channel.

Puchkov started translating famous Hollywood movies as a hobby. His unofficial translations became popular for their humor and use of everyday slang. Later, he also wrote screenplays and comic books.

His political views have caused a lot of discussion. He has supported the Russian government and its leader, Vladimir Putin. Because of his views, especially after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, some media have called him a "warhawk." His YouTube channel, which had almost three million subscribers, was removed for breaking the platform's rules by spreading pro-government messages.

Early Life and Nickname

Dmitry Puchkov was born in Kirovograd, which was part of the Soviet Union and is now in Ukraine. His mother is Ukrainian, and his father is a Russian with German ancestors.

He got the nickname "Goblin" long before he became famous. When he worked as a police investigator, a newspaper article called "Goblins in Militsiya Overcoats" criticized the police. As a joke, Puchkov and his coworkers started calling each other "goblins."

He first used the name Goblin online when writing about the video game Quake. He started a website focused on the game, which made him a popular figure in the Quake gaming community.

In 1999, he published a book called Dungeon Cleaners. It was a big hit online and later inspired a video game.

Movie and Game Translations

Puchkov taught himself English and began translating movies during a time when many Western films were first being shown in Russia.

I already had some knowledge of English. The number of untranslated phrases and obvious mistakes annoyed me. I wanted to make a translation the way a good film deserves.

He first translated movies like Carlito's Way and Aliens for his friends. These unofficial translations were copied and shared, and they became very popular.

When DVDs became common, more people discovered his work. He started a studio called "Polny P" and put its logo on his translations, which became a well-known symbol of his style.

A Unique Translation Style

Unlike official Russian versions of films, which are usually dubbed by many actors, Puchkov did all the voices himself. His translations are a voice-over, meaning you can still hear the original English voices in the background. He believed this was more true to the director's original vision.

Puchkov was known for translating everything, including slang and strong language that was often removed from official translations. He felt that removing these words could change the meaning of a scene or make serious characters seem silly.

For example, in the movie Commando, a tough line was changed in the official version:

• Original Line: "F... you! A...hole!"
• Official Russian Translation: "Прощайся с жизнью!" (Say "good bye" to your life!)

Puchkov's translations kept the original tone, which his fans appreciated.

Funny Translations

Puchkov also created "funny translations." These are parodies that make fun of bad translations. He would completely change the story of a serious movie to turn it into a comedy. He changed character names, added new music, and made jokes about current events in Russia and the world.

He created these funny versions under a different studio name, "Bozhya Iskra" (God's Spark). His website visitors often helped him write the jokes.

His funny version of The Lord of the Rings was so popular that it was turned into two books and a video game.

Official Translation Work

Because of his popularity, movie companies in Russia hired Puchkov to translate films for theaters. Some of his official works include Team America: World Police, South Park, and Guy Ritchie's RocknRolla.

He also translated video games like Serious Sam and Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project.

Political Views and Controversy

Puchkov has been a vocal supporter of the Russian government's policies. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine began in 2022, he gave interviews where he blamed the United States for the conflict.

He often repeated ideas from Russian state media. Because of this, some European Union (EU) officials said he was responsible for supporting actions that threatened Ukraine's independence. In 2024, he made very strong and controversial statements about Ukrainians that were seen as hateful by many people.

Sanctions and YouTube Ban

In December 2022, the EU placed Puchkov on a sanctions list. This means he faces restrictions like travel bans and frozen assets. The EU noted that in his 2014 book, "Ukraine is Russia," he shared ideas from Russian propaganda suggesting Ukraine was not a real country.

On August 4, 2022, YouTube permanently deleted his channel. The company said he had violated its community rules.

Personal Life

Puchkov grew up in a military family and moved around a lot as a child. He lived in several places, including the former East Germany.

Before becoming a media personality, he had many different jobs. He worked as a police officer for six years, retiring in 1998. He has also been a truck driver, a plumber, an electrician, and a dog handler for the police.

See also

• Gavrilov translation
• Benshi