Kino (band)
In 1981, two local groups from Leningrad merged to create a new musical entity. The members of Palata No. 6 and Piligrimy joined forces under the name Garin i giperboloidy. This early lineup included Viktor Tsoi, guitarist Aleksei Rybin, and drummer Oleg Valinsky. They began rehearsing in the city that would later be known as Saint Petersburg. Valinsky was drafted into military service shortly after rehearsals started. He had to leave the band, leaving a gap in their rhythm section. In the spring of 1982, the group began performing at the Leningrad Rock Club. There they met Boris Grebenshchikov, an influential underground musician who would become a key supporter. Around this time, the band changed its name to Kino. The new name was chosen because it was short and easy to pronounce globally. Members took pride in the fact that it contained only two syllables. They recalled seeing a bright cinema sign that inspired the decision.
Kino released their debut album 45 in 1982 with only two core members. Bassist Vsevolod Gakkel and flautist Alexander Titov helped fill out the sound. A drum machine provided percussion since no permanent drummer existed yet. Lyrically the record resembled earlier Soviet bard music with romantic city life themes. Thirteen songs made up the album named for its duration. Popularity remained limited initially so the release did not achieve major commercial success. Tsoi later stated he should have recorded it differently due to crude production values. By late 1982 attempts were made to record a second album at the Maly Drama Theatre studio. Drummer Andrey Kuskov joined briefly before Tsoi lost interest in the project. Recordings ceased during winter months of 1983 when they played shows in Leningrad and Moscow. Maksim Kolosov replaced Rybin on bass while Yuri Kasparyan took over guitar duties. Kasparyan progressed quickly from being considered a poor player to becoming the band's second most important member. In March 1983 a serious conflict erupted between Tsoi and Rybin over creative control. They stopped talking entirely and Rybin departed the group permanently.
From 1986 to 1988 Viktor Tsoi acted in several films including The Needle which brought him greater prominence. His role as a drifter in this movie expanded Kino's cultural reach beyond music circles alone. The film starred Tsoi himself and featured his band performing songs within the narrative. This cinematic appearance helped elevate their status significantly among Soviet youth audiences. Their 1988 album Gruppa krovi reached the pinnacle of popularity following these events. Kasparyan had married American Joanna Stingray who supplied high quality equipment from abroad. Technical standards on this record finally matched European and American production levels. Russian journalist Alexander Zhitinsky called it one of the best works of Russian music ever created. It elevated Russian rock to a new level according to critics. Capitol Records released the album in America in 1989 where Robert Christgau praised its impact. At a U.S fan request Tsoi translated the title track into English lyrics recorded in Moscow during January 1988. Television appearances further amplified their fame across the country. An Assa film featuring Russian rock showed Tsoi performing Khochu peremen before thousands of viewers.
In June 1990 after finishing a lengthy touring season the band decided to take a short break. They planned to record an album in France but tragedy struck before they could begin. On the 15th of August 1990 Tsoi died in a car crash near Tukums while returning from a fishing trip. Before his death he had recorded several songs in Latvia with remaining members. The group finished the album as a tribute to him without assigning an official title. Fans often refer to it as the Black Album due to its all black cover design. Released in December 1990 shortly after his passing Kino held a press conference announcing the end of the band. Other close associates joined them at this final gathering to mark the dissolution. Georgy Guryanov later died on the 20th of July 2013 from complications involving hepatitis C and liver cancer. He was fifty two years old when his life ended.
In 2012 on what would have been Tsoi's fiftieth birthday the band briefly reunited to record Ataman. Originally intended for the Black Album the song contained only low quality vocals so it remained unreleased initially. This marked the final release featuring drummer Georgy Guryanov who passed away months later. In 2019 the band announced plans for concerts scheduled in late 2020 marking their first reunion in thirty years. Yuri Kasparyan returned alongside bassists Alexander Titov and Igor Tikhomirov. They utilized digitized versions of Viktor's voice extracted from original multichannel recordings. A unique video sequence accompanied these performances during live shows. Viktor Tsoi's son Alexander became the producer overseeing these modern efforts. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic concerts were postponed until 2021 instead. March 2021 saw the release of a live album called Kino in Sevkabel. On the 22nd of December 2022 an album named 12_22 appeared on digital platforms worldwide. A remake of Eto ne lyubov... arrived on the 15th of March 2024 using original vocals with newly recorded instrumentals. the 2nd of October 2025 brought Molnii Indry featuring songs from Nachalnik Kamchatki plus additional tracks.
As one of the first Russian rock bands Kino greatly influenced later generations of musicians. On the 31st of December 1999 Nashe Radio announced the hundred best Russian rock songs of the twentieth century based on listener votes. Kino had ten entries more than any other band while Gruppa Krovi took first place overall. Komsomolskaya Pravda listed Kino as the second most influential Russian band ever behind Alisa. Rolling Stone Russia included Gruppa Krovi among forty songs that changed the world in 2007. Tsoi's simple relatable lyrical style made his music accessible throughout the Soviet Union despite limited political messaging. Their sound coincided with Mikhail Gorbachev's liberal reforms known as glasnost and perestroika. Western musical styles increased popularity of foreign culture within the USSR during this era. In modern times Tsoi remains a cult hero with fans calling themselves Kinophiles. The phenomenon surrounding their enduring popularity is referred to as Kinomania. Moscow features a Tsoi Wall where fans leave messages for the musician regularly. The boiler room where Tsoi once worked serves as a pilgrimage site for many admirers. Fans frequently chant Цой жив meaning Tsoi lives or Tsoi is alive across Russia today.
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Common questions
When did the band Kino form and what was their original name?
The band formed in 1981 under the name Garin i giperboloidy. Two local groups from Leningrad merged to create this new musical entity before changing their name to Kino.
Who were the founding members of Kino and when did they start performing at the Leningrad Rock Club?
Viktor Tsoi, guitarist Aleksei Rybin, and drummer Oleg Valinsky comprised the early lineup. The group began performing at the Leningrad Rock Club in the spring of 1982.
What happened to Viktor Tsoi on the 15th of August 1990 and how did it affect the band?
Tsoi died in a car crash near Tukums while returning from a fishing trip on the 15th of August 1990. The remaining members finished an album as a tribute to him and announced the end of the band shortly after his passing.
Which album released by Kino reached the pinnacle of popularity and when was it recorded?
The 1988 album Gruppa krovi reached the pinnacle of popularity following events in 1986 and 1987. Recordings for this record took place during winter months of 1983 and continued through 1988 with high quality equipment supplied by Joanna Stingray.
When did Kino reunite to perform concerts and what albums were released during their modern era?
Plans for concerts scheduled in late 2020 marked their first reunion in thirty years but were postponed until 2021 due to the pandemic. Albums including Kino in Sevkabel, 12_22, Eto ne lyubov..., and Molnii Indry appeared between March 2021 and October 2025.