Viktor Tsoi
Viktor Robertovich Tsoi entered the world on the 21st of June 1962 inside a maternity hospital located on Kuznetsovskaya Street in Leningrad. He was the only child of Valentina Vasilyevna Tsoi, a Russian schoolteacher, and Robert Maximovich Tsoi, a Soviet Korean engineer from Kyzyl-Orda, Kazakhstan. His father's family had been exiled to Central Asia after Stalin deported all Koreans from the Soviet Union in 1937. The family's Korean ancestry traces back to Kimchaek, now known as Songjin, where his great-grandfather Choi Yong-nam was born in 1893. Tsoi grew up near Moskovsky Victory Park while living in a notable general's house at the corner of Moskovsky Avenue and Basseynaya Street. He attended a nearby school on Frunze Street where his mother worked before moving to an art school from 1974 until 1977.
From 1974 until 1977, Tsoi studied at a secondary art school where he joined a band called Palata No. 6. The group released one surviving album titled Slonolunie, which combined words for elephant and full moon into a single portmanteau. Around that same time, he wrote two early songs named Vasya Loves Disco and Idiot, though neither were ever performed publicly. In 1977, he transferred to the Serov Art School but got expelled in 1979 due to poor academic performance. He then enrolled in SGPTU-61, a vocational school where he trained to become a woodcarver. During these years, he modeled his image after martial artist Bruce Lee and often sparred with bandmate Yuri Kasparyan in Chinese style. By the late 1970s, he began performing his own compositions at private parties hosted by Andrei Svin Panov.
In 1987, Kino released their sixth album Gruppa Krovi, triggering a cultural explosion known as Kinomania across the Soviet Union. The open political climate under glasnost allowed Tsoi to create his most political work yet while experimenting with sounds no other musician had played before. Most tracks on the album urged youth to take control and make changes within the nation. Some songs directly addressed social problems crippling the country. Fans in diverse Soviet republics translated his Russian lyrics into their native languages. The sound and lyrics made Tsoi a hero among young people and established Kino as the most popular rock band ever. Even though he was a massive star, he kept working at a boiler room job called Kamchatka to support the band since they received no government funding. Their albums were copied and distributed freely through magnitizdat networks without charge.
Kino appeared as themselves in the 1987 film Assa directed by Sergei Solovyov, though the movie itself had nothing to do with rock music. In 1988, Tsoi starred as the protagonist Moro in The Needle, a Kazakh new wave art film directed by Rashid Nugmanov. The plot followed Moro returning to Almaty to collect money owed to him while discovering his former girlfriend Dina had become a morphine addict. He decided to help her quit drugs and fight the local mafia responsible for her condition. A deadly opponent emerged in the form of the doctor, who served as the mafia kingpin exploiting Dina. Tsoi received an award nomination for his role in this film. The movie officially released in February 1989 throughout the Soviet Union. His soundtrack work contributed significantly to the overall feeling of the film alongside its post-modern twists and surreal scenes.
On the 15th of August 1990, Tsoi drove along the Sloka-Talsi highway near Tukums and Engure in Latvia. At exactly 12:28 p.m., he died in a car collision after falling asleep at the wheel due to fatigue. Investigations concluded that he was driving at speeds between 60 to 70 kilometers per hour when an Ikarus bus exited from a turn. His dark blue Moskvitch-2141 turned into the oncoming lane and collided with the bus. Neither the bus driver nor passengers suffered serious injuries or damage to their vehicle. Tsoi's car was completely destroyed, so thoroughly that one tire was never found. He had not consumed alcohol for at least 48 hours before the accident. Thousands attended his funeral at Bogoslovskoe Cemetery in Leningrad where he was buried in a closed casket on the 19th of August.
Portraits of Viktor Tsoi now appear throughout Russia, ranging from graffiti on Saint Petersburg fences to entire walls dedicated to him in Moscow's Arbat District. Fans still gather at these locations to remember their hero. Other Tsoi Walls exist in Minsk, Belarus, and various regions of Kazakhstan. In 2000, top rock bands released interpretations of Kino's best songs as a tribute marking what would have been his 38th birthday. On the 15th of August 2020, the 30th anniversary of his death, fans across the country commemorated his passing. The Palace Bridge in St. Petersburg lifted to play his songs while events and concerts organized themselves locally. A tall monument dedicated to Tsoi stood erected in St. Petersburg the day before those celebrations began. A peak near Almaty, Kazakhstan bears his name today as Viktor Tsoi Peak. His influence continues through modern media including video games like Metro Exodus and Cyberpunk 2077 featuring his music or references.
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Common questions
When and where was Viktor Tsoi born?
Viktor Robertovich Tsoi entered the world on the 21st of June 1962 inside a maternity hospital located on Kuznetsovskaya Street in Leningrad. He was the only child of Valentina Vasilyevna Tsoi, a Russian schoolteacher, and Robert Maximovich Tsoi, a Soviet Korean engineer from Kyzyl-Orda, Kazakhstan.
What caused the death of Viktor Tsoi on the 15th of August 1990?
Viktor Tsoi died in a car collision after falling asleep at the wheel due to fatigue while driving along the Sloka-Talsi highway near Tukums and Engure in Latvia. His dark blue Moskvitch-2141 turned into the oncoming lane and collided with an Ikarus bus that exited from a turn at speeds between 60 to 70 kilometers per hour.
Which film did Viktor Tsoi star in as the protagonist Moro?
In 1988, Tsoi starred as the protagonist Moro in The Needle, a Kazakh new wave art film directed by Rashid Nugmanov. The movie officially released in February 1989 throughout the Soviet Union and followed Moro returning to Almaty to collect money owed to him while discovering his former girlfriend Dina had become a morphine addict.
How did fans commemorate the 30th anniversary of Viktor Tsoi's death on the 15th of August 2020?
On the 15th of August 2020, the 30th anniversary of his death, fans across the country commemorated his passing through events and concerts organized locally. The Palace Bridge in St. Petersburg lifted to play his songs while a tall monument dedicated to Tsoi stood erected in St. Petersburg the day before those celebrations began.
What was the name of the band formed by Viktor Tsoi during his time at secondary art school from 1974 until 1977?
From 1974 until 1977, Tsoi studied at a secondary art school where he joined a band called Palata No. 6. The group released one surviving album titled Slonolunie, which combined words for elephant and full moon into a single portmanteau.