"BLUE TALES" ("TALES IN HIGH SPIRITS") – a comedy YouTube project where participants in a cheerful state retell (as best they can 😉) fairy tales, epics, and myths, while actors recreate their versions on screen, lip‑syncing to each storyteller's voice.

The project received an offer from the Russian TV channel 2×2, but after legal consultation we decided not to take the risk with the alcohol‑related theme. "Blue Tales" remained a YouTube project — and over time, without external funding, it became an expensive but much‑loved hobby. It's currently on hold, but we don't rule out returning to it when the opportunity arises.

Nov 10, 2017
Director: Vlad Zhukov
Created and brought to life by Vlad Zhukov and Alex Nekrasov

Cast:

• Alexander Krasovitsky – Mikhaylych (the narrator)
• Vlad Zhukov – Pan Zhuchek, the Kid, the most charming ghost
• Alexander Nekrasov – Sanches, the father, con man #1
• Andrey Reznikov – Ryzhik, Carlson
• Alexander Zarankin – Freken Bok, the house‑tormentor
• Inna Tkachuk – mom, sexy lady
• Evgeny Ryakhovsky – con man #2
• Andrey Samsonov – TV announcer
• Katifnah – the cat

Cinematography: Alexey Urban (camera operator), Nick Kuznetsov (second camera)
Assistant: Sasha Gridneva

Editing, post‑production, and sound design: Vlad Zhukov
Graphics: Vlad Zhukov, Alexander Nekrasov, Dmitry Tanaev
Makeup artist: Tatyana Perova
Music: Vlad Zhukov and Alexander Nekrasov
Produced and mixed by Vlad Zhukov

Episode 2 with Eldar Dzharakhov – Winnie‑the‑Pooh (Eeyore's Birthday)
March 21, 2018

Director: Vlad Zhukov

Cast:

• Eldar Dzharakhov – the narrator
• Vlad Zhukov – Winnie‑the‑Pooh
• Alexander Nekrasov – Eeyore
• Ilya Razin – Piglet
• Evgeny Ryakhovsky – Owl

Cinematography:

• Alexey Urban – camera operator
• Filipp Grigoriev – camera operator
• Sasha Gridneva – assistant

Editing, post‑production, and sound design: Vlad Zhukov
Graphics and chroma keying: Vlad Zhukov
Graphics: Alexander Nekrasov
Chroma keying: Konstantin Tsekhaansky
Percussion: Sano

Produced and mixed by: Vlad Zhukov
Created and brought to life by: Vlad Zhukov and Alexander Nekrasov

Special thanks to: FRP for providing the green screen

Episode 3 with Sano (Merab Sanodze) – Georgian Little Red Riding Hood
April 2, 2018

Director: Vlad Zhukov

Cast:

• Merab Sanodze (Sano) – the narrator
• Inna Tkachuk – Little Red Riding Hood
• Vlad Zhukov – the Wolf
• Alexander Nekrasov – woodcutter #1
• Evgeny Ryakhovsky – woodcutter #2
• Sergey Poznyakhovsky (Pro'fit) – the grandmother

Cinematography:

• Vlad Zhukov – camera operator
• Inna Tkachuk – camera operator
• Mikhail Paritsky – camera operator

Editing, post‑production, and sound design: Vlad Zhukov

Graphics: Vlad Zhukov, Alexander Nekrasov, Dmitry Tanaev (fireflies)
Beauty retouching: Konstantin Tsekhaansky

Music: features the track Gandagana2 by Sameba (prod. by Vlad Zhukov), along with percussion by Sano and other materials recorded for the Sameba project in Georgia.

Produced and mixed by: Vlad Zhukov

Filmed in: Tbilisi (Georgia) and Saint Petersburg (Russia)

Created and brought to life by: Vlad Zhukov and Alexander Nekrasov

2018

Episode 4 with Eldar Dzharakhov – Winnie‑the‑Pooh (Visiting Rabbit)
May 9, 2018

Director: Vlad Zhukov

Cast:

• Eldar Dzharakhov – the narrator
• Vlad Zhukov – Winnie‑the‑Pooh
• Alexander Nekrasov – Eeyore, Google
• Ilya Razin – Piglet
• Alexander Zarankin – Rabbit
• Inna and Yana Tkachuk (letstwins) – squirrels

Cinematography:

• Filipp Grigoriev – camera operator
• Alexey Urban – camera operator
• Vlad Zhukov – camera operator
• Sasha Gridneva – assistant

Editing, post‑production, music, and sound design: Vlad Zhukov
Graphics, animation, and chroma keying: Vlad Zhukov
Graphics and music (sad theme): Alexander Nekrasov

Special thanks to:

• Sano (percussion)
• Evgeny Ryakhovsky and SPERMADONARZ for the track "Feast of Winnie‑the‑Pooh and Piglet"
• Inna and Yana Tkachuk for the plasticine figurines
• Sasha Golubev for help with shooting the plasticine director

Produced and mixed by: Vlad Zhukov
Created and brought to life by: Vlad Zhukov and Alexander Nekrasov

2018

Episode 5 with Inna and Yana Tkachuk "LETSTWINS" – "The Scarlet Flower"
June 4, 2018

Director: Vlad Zhukov

Cast:

• Inna and Yana LETSTWINS – the narrators (@isha_yany)
• Vlad Zhukov – Stepan Yemelyanov, the monster, the handsome prince
• Alexander Nekrasov – Lamas‑slave
• Alexander Zarankin – Nastya (the maiden)
• Ilya Razin – Lyubava
• Filipp Grigoriev – Gordeya

Cinematography:

• Alexey Urban – camera operator (interview footage)
• Filipp Grigoriev – camera operator, drone operator (live‑action scenes)
• Vlad Zhukov – camera operator (live‑action scenes)
• Alexander Nekrasov – camera operator (live‑action scenes)

Editing, post‑production, music, and sound design: Vlad Zhukov
Graphics and animation: Vlad Zhukov
Graphics: Alexander Nekrasov
Makeup (sisters): Maria Bazhina

Special thanks to:

• David Web and Sani Web – for the great interview location
• Anatoly Bisinbayev, as well as Larisa and Sasha Pogaretsky – for the wonderfully atmospheric neighbouring location for the live‑action scenes 😊
• Zinaida Alexandrovna – for the fur coat
• Andrey Samsonov – for the prince's crown
• Sergey Starostin – for the flute sample
• "MaGrIgAl" – for the balalaika sample

The video compilation featuring LETSTWINS includes the following tracks:

1. Skryptonite – Vecherinka / Jillzay ft. KolyaOlya – Bar – Dve Lesbukhi
2. Dzharakhov x Tileks — Disslayk
3. Leningrad — Karasik
4. Few Days Ago ft. In progress – (Affective rmx)
5. Dzharakhov — BLOKERY
6. Pyatnitsa. Danila Kozlovsky (film)

Produced and mixed by: Vlad Zhukov
Created and brought to life by: Vlad Zhukov and Alexander Nekrasov

2018

Episode 6 with Inna and Yana Tkachuk "LETSTWINS" – "A Tale of How Not to Turn into a Little Goat"
July 23, 2018

Director: Vlad Zhukov

Cast:

• Inna and Yana LETSTWINS – the narrators
• Vlad Zhukov – Alyonushka
• Alexander Nekrasov – Ivanushka (the little goat), the brave fellow
• Evgeny Ryakhovsky – the evil witch (Baba Yaga)
• Filipp Grigoriev – the Knight
• Dmitry Tanaev – Techno‑Mouse

Cinematography:

• Alexey Urban – camera operator (interview footage)
• Filipp Grigoriev – camera operator (live‑action scenes)
• Vlad Zhukov – camera operator (live‑action scenes)

Editing, post‑production, music, and sound design: Vlad Zhukov
Graphics and animation: Vlad Zhukov
Graphics: Alexander Nekrasov

Special thanks to:

• David Web and Sani Web – for the great interview location
• "MaGrIgAl" – for the balalaika sample

Produced and mixed by: Vlad Zhukov
Created and brought to life by: Vlad Zhukov and Alexander Nekrasov

2018

Episode 7 with Sano (Merab Sanodze) — Zolushk (NOT CINDERELLA !!!)
January 3, 2019

Director: Vlad Zhukov

Cast:

• Merab Sanodze (Sano) – the narrator
• Vlad Zhukov – Zolushk (the lazybones / slacker)
• Inna Tkachuk – the Wife
• Mikhail Paritsky – the Giant

Cinematography:

• Vlad Zhukov – camera operator
• Inna Tkachuk – camera operator
• Mikhail Paritsky – camera operator

Editing, post‑production, and sound design: Vlad Zhukov
Graphics: Vlad Zhukov, Alexander Nekrasov

Music: features music by Sameba (prod. by Vlad Zhukov), along with percussion by Sano and other materials recorded for the Sameba project in Georgia.

Produced and mixed by: Vlad Zhukov
Filmed in: Tbilisi (Georgia)

Special thanks for assistance to: Alexey Urban, Mitya Egorov, Mikhail Paritsky, Elena Rosenbloom, Artem Tuto Babiashvili

Created and brought to life by: Vlad Zhukov and Alexander Nekrasov

2019

Episode 8 with Alexander Mikhaylych Krasovitsky — "Orpheus"
April 27, 2020

Director: Vlad Zhukov

Cast:

• Alexander Krasovitsky (Mikhaylych) — the narrator
• Vlad Zhukov — Orpheus, Gella
• Alexander Nekrasov — Gella's brother
• Inna Tkachuk — Apollo
• Ilya Razin — Zeus

Cinematography:

• Phil Grigoriev — camera operator
• Vlad Zhukov — camera operator
• Inna Tkachuk — camera operator

Editing, post‑production, and sound design: Vlad Zhukov
Graphics: Vlad Zhukov, Alexander Nekrasov
Music: Vlad Zhukov and Alexander Nekrasov

Produced and mixed by: Vlad Zhukov
Final track by: Alexander Nekrasov

Features a clip from the film "Get Out"

Created and brought to life by: Vlad Zhukov and Alexander Nekrasov

2020

Episode 9 (and the latest one to date) with Lizzka — "RAPka"
April 11, 2020

Director: Vlad Zhukov

Cast:

• Lizzka — the narrator
• Vlad Zhukov — MC Dead
• Eldar Dzharakhov — the old woman (producer)
• Inna Tkachuk — Mouse Raveushka (Narushka)
• Yana Tkachuk — Zhuchka
• Children — children from Cape Town

Cinematography:

• Alexey Urban — camera operator (narrator footage)
• Sasha Gridneva — assistant (narrator footage)
• Vlad Zhukov, Inna Tkachuk — camera operators (Cape Town footage)

Editing, post‑production, and sound design: Vlad Zhukov
Graphics: Vlad Zhukov, Alexander Nekrasov
Music: Vlad Zhukov
Title sequence: Vlad Zhukov and Alexander Nekrasov

Produced and mixed by: Vlad Zhukov

Special thanks to:

• Andrey Samsonov — for help with the location for the "Grecha" shoot 🙂
• Vladislav Lysy — for helping with props (the striped shirt and ushanka hat) in Cape Town — it wasn't easy to find them there! 😄

Created and brought to life by: Vlad Zhukov and Alexander Nekrasov

2020