Три дня дождя
Viktor Robertovich Tsoi (June 21, 1962, Leningrad — August 15, 1990, Latvian SSR) was a Soviet rock musician, singer, songwriter, artist and actor, founder and leader of the band «Kino». He was the group’s principal songwriter and composer and one of the central figures of the Leningrad rock scene of the 1980s. Tsoi’s best-known songs include «Группа крови», «Звезда по имени Солнце», «Перемен!», «Пачка сигарет», «Кукушка», «Спокойная ночь», «Последний герой», «Когда твоя девушка больна» and «Следи за собой». In addition to music, Tsoi was involved in painting and played the leading role in the film «Игла».
Childhood and family
Viktor Tsoi was born on June 21, 1962, in Leningrad. His father, Robert Maksimovich Tsoi, was an engineer of Korean descent, while his mother, Valentina Vasilyevna Tsoi, worked as a physical education teacher. Viktor was the only child in the family. He spent his childhood in the area around Moscow Victory Park.
On his father’s side, Tsoi’s family came from the Soviet Korean community. Robert Tsoi was born in the Kazakh SSR, where his family had ended up after the deportation of the Korean population from the Soviet Far East. He later moved to Leningrad, received an engineering education and started a family with Valentina Guseva.
Viktor drew from an early age and was interested in music. From 1974 to 1977, he studied at a secondary art school, where he met musicians of his generation and began playing in the band «Палата № 6». After school, he entered the V. A. Serov Leningrad Art College but was expelled. He later studied at SGPTU-61 as a woodcarver. He genuinely practiced wood carving and made small wooden figurines.
First bands
By the late 1970s, Tsoi had become part of the Leningrad musical underground. He met Andrei Panov, known as Svin, leader of the punk band «Автоматические удовлетворители», as well as Alexei Rybin. Tsoi took part in performances within this circle and traveled with the musicians to Moscow, although his own material gradually developed into a separate artistic direction.
By the beginning of the 1980s, he was already writing songs and performing them with an acoustic guitar. During this period, he wrote «Мои друзья», «Бездельник», «Алюминиевые огурцы», «Электричка» and other material that later entered Kino’s early repertoire.
«Гарин и Гиперболоиды» and the emergence of Kino
In the summer of 1981, Viktor Tsoi, Alexei Rybin and Oleg Valinsky decided to form their own band. It was named «Гарин и Гиперболоиды». After Valinsky left, Tsoi and Rybin continued performing as a duo, and the name was soon changed to the shorter and more memorable «Кино». The group joined the circle of the Leningrad Rock Club and became part of the emerging urban rock scene.
Boris Grebenshchikov played an important role in the group’s early development. Through him, Tsoi met musicians from «Aquarium» and gained access to Andrei Tropillo’s studio.
«45»
The debut magnetic-tape album «45» was recorded in 1982. Its title refers to the approximate length of the material — around 45 minutes. Members of Aquarium participated in the recording, which is why the album sounds noticeably different from later Kino releases: it features a great deal of acoustic guitar, flute and relatively light arrangements.
«45» included «Время есть, а денег нет», «Просто хочешь ты знать», «Алюминиевые огурцы», «Солнечные дни», «Бездельник», «Электричка», «Мои друзья», «Дерево» and other early songs.
The album circulated on magnetic tape through an unofficial copying system. During the first half of the 1980s, this was how a large part of Soviet rock music reached listeners outside Leningrad and Moscow.
«46»
In 1983, Tsoi recorded material that later became known as «46». It included «Троллейбус», «Камчатка», «Транквилизатор», «Дождь для нас», «Музыка волн», «Генерал» and other songs.
«46» is often included in Kino’s overall album discography, but its status differs from the group’s full studio albums. The recording originated as working material, much of it made at home, while MusicBrainz classifies the release as both an album and a demo. For this reason, it is reasonable to list «46» separately when presenting Kino’s principal studio albums.
Formation of Kino’s classic lineup
After Alexei Rybin left, guitarist Yuri Kasparyan became Tsoi’s main musical partner. The lineup changed several times afterward. Alexander Titov played bass for a period while also performing with Aquarium, before being replaced by Igor Tikhomirov. Georgy Guryanov became the group’s regular drummer.
By the mid-1980s, the lineup associated with the band’s best-known recordings had taken shape:
- Viktor Tsoi — vocals, guitar, songwriting;
- Yuri Kasparyan — lead guitar;
- Igor Tikhomirov — bass guitar;
- Georgy Guryanov — drums.
It was this quartet that recorded the major albums of the second half of the decade.
«Начальник Камчатки»
In 1984, Kino released the album «Начальник Камчатки». Its sound became more electronic, with drum machines, keyboards and studio effects used in the recordings. The songs included «Последний герой», «Камчатка», «Транквилизатор», «Гость», «Ария мистера X» and «Я объявляю свой дом».
The album title later became strongly associated with the «Камчатка» boiler room on Blokhina Street in Leningrad, although the record itself appeared before Tsoi began working there.
«Это не любовь»
The album «Это не любовь» was recorded in 1985. Unlike the darker works that followed, a large part of the material focused on relationships and urban romance. The album included «Это не любовь», «Ты выглядишь так несовременно», «Музыка волн», «Безъядерная зона», «Город» and other songs.
By the middle of the decade, Kino’s music was becoming increasingly concise: Kasparyan’s guitar parts, the rhythm section and Tsoi’s voice occupied more clearly defined positions in the arrangements.
«Ночь»
In 1986, the album «Ночь» was released. It included «Видели ночь», «Фильмы», «Твой номер», «Жизнь в стёклах», «Мама Анархия», «Звёзды останутся здесь» and «Последний герой».
By this point, Kino was already performing regularly at festivals of the Leningrad Rock Club and gradually moving beyond the local underground scene. The band’s songs circulated on copied tapes throughout the Soviet Union.
The «Камчатка» boiler room
In the mid-1980s, Tsoi worked as a boiler-room stoker in Leningrad at a facility that became unofficially known as «Камчатка». The job left him enough time for music while also providing official employment.
The boiler room became a meeting place for Leningrad musicians. It was associated not only with Tsoi but also with other representatives of the city’s rock community. The premises later became a club museum devoted to Leningrad rock and the band Kino.
«Асса» and «Перемен!»
Tsoi’s nationwide fame increased significantly after his appearance in Sergei Solovyov’s film «Асса». In the film’s final scene, Tsoi walks onto the stage and begins performing «Перемен!».
The song was not written as a political slogan for any particular movement, but by the end of the 1980s it had come to be understood far beyond its original context. It became associated with the mood of perestroika and the public desire for change. After Tsoi’s death, «Перемен!» was repeatedly used at public and protest events.
«Группа крови»
The decisive breakthrough in Kino’s career came with the release of «Группа крови» in 1988. Its sound was built around a minimalist rhythm section, Kasparyan’s guitar and Tsoi’s distinctive vocal style.
The album included «Группа крови», «Закрой за мной дверь, я ухожу», «Война», «Спокойная ночь», «Мама, мы все тяжело больны», «Бошетунмай», «В наших глазах», «Попробуй спеть вместе со мной», «Прохожий», «Дальше действовать будем мы» and «Легенда».
It was after «Группа крови» that Kino’s popularity became truly nationwide. Concerts moved from rock clubs and houses of culture to major venues, while Tsoi himself became one of the most recognizable musicians in the country.
«Игла»
In 1988, Viktor Tsoi played the leading role in Rashid Nugmanov’s film «Игла». His character, Moro, arrives in Alma-Ata and tries to help a young woman named Dina overcome drug addiction.
The film became one of the most notable Soviet cinema releases of the late 1980s. More than 14 million people saw it during its first year in theaters. According to the annual readers’ poll conducted by «Советский экран» magazine, Tsoi was named the best Soviet actor of 1989.
The film features songs by Kino, including «Группа крови», «Звезда по имени Солнце» and other recordings.
Other film work
Before «Игла», Tsoi had appeared in several fiction and documentary films connected with the Leningrad music scene. Among the best known are:
- «Йя-Хха» — a short film by Rashid Nugmanov;
- «Конец каникул» — a musical short featuring Kino;
- «Рок» by Alexei Uchitel — a documentary about the Leningrad rock scene;
- «Асса» by Sergei Solovyov — a cameo appearance in the final scene;
- «Игла» — the leading role of Moro.
«Игла» remained Tsoi’s only major feature-film role.
«Звезда по имени Солнце»
In 1989, Kino released the album «Звезда по имени Солнце». It included «Песня без слов», «Звезда по имени Солнце», «Невесёлая песня», «Сказка», «Место для шага вперёд», «Пачка сигарет», «Стук», «Печаль» and «Апрель».
The album consolidated the more restrained sound of late-period Kino. The lyrics contained less of the everyday romanticism of the early years, while choice, movement, conflict and personal responsibility became the central themes.
«Последний герой»
Also in 1989, «Последний герой» appeared — material recorded in France and consisting mainly of new studio versions of previously released songs. These included «Хочу перемен», «Электричка», «Война», «Троллейбус», «Последний герой» and «Группа крови».
For this reason, «Последний герой» is usually treated separately from the main sequence of Kino’s studio albums, since much of its material was already familiar to listeners.
Final concert
During the first half of 1990, Kino continued to tour actively. Viktor Tsoi’s final concert with the band took place at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium on June 24, 1990. The performance was part of a large musical event at the Grand Sports Arena.
After the end of the concert period, Tsoi worked on songs for the group’s next album.
Final recordings
In the summer of 1990, Viktor Tsoi and Yuri Kasparyan were staying in Latvia. There, Tsoi recorded vocals and guitar demos of new songs using portable equipment. Work on the album had not yet been completed.
After Tsoi’s death, Yuri Kasparyan, Georgy Guryanov and Igor Tikhomirov used the surviving recordings to complete the arrangements and mixing.
Death of Viktor Tsoi
On August 15, 1990, Viktor Tsoi died in a car crash in Latvia on the road between Sloka and Talsi. He was driving a Moskvich-2141 when his car collided with an oncoming Ikarus bus. The musician was 28 years old.
The investigation found no evidence that the crash had been intentional. The most widely accepted official version was that Tsoi lost control of the vehicle, presumably after falling asleep at the wheel. Conspiracy theories that emerged later have never received documentary confirmation.
The funeral took place on August 19, 1990, at Bogoslovskoye Cemetery in Leningrad.
«Чёрный альбом»
Kino’s final studio work was completed by the musicians after Tsoi’s death and released in 1991. The record was never given an official authorial title; because of its entirely black cover, it became known historically as «Чёрный альбом».
It included «Кончится лето», «Красно-жёлтые дни», «Нам с тобой», «Звезда», «Кукушка», «Когда твоя девушка больна», «Муравейник» and «Следи за собой». This release brought the classic studio history of Kino to a close.
Painting
Visual art was not merely a casual hobby for Tsoi. He received formal art training and worked with drawing, carving and painting, and during the 1980s became associated with the Leningrad art collective «Новые художники», founded by Timur Novikov.
Tsoi exhibited his work alongside representatives of the Leningrad artistic underground. Timur Novikov later directly named him among the musicians who joined «Новые художники». Tsoi also appears in catalogs and archival materials devoted to the group.
His paintings are mostly executed in a concise, expressive manner, with bright colors, bold outlines and simplified figures. Unlike his musical legacy, his paintings remained known mainly to specialists and people from his circle for many years, but were later shown repeatedly at exhibitions of Russian art from the second half of the 20th century.
Personal life
Viktor Tsoi met Marianna Rodovanskaya in the early 1980s. They married in 1984, and in 1985 their son Alexander Tsoi was born. Marianna was involved in the organizational side of Kino’s activities and later worked to preserve the musician’s legacy.
In the late 1980s, Tsoi lived with film scholar and translator Natalia Razlogova, although his official marriage to Marianna was never dissolved. After the musician’s death, a significant part of his artistic archive remained with his family and close associates.
Music and lyrics
Early Kino combined rock and roll, acoustic rock, new wave and elements of post-punk. From the mid-1980s onward, the music became increasingly minimalist: instrumental parts were simplified, the rhythm became more rigid, and Yuri Kasparyan’s melodic guitar lines took on an increasingly important role.
Tsoi’s lyrics are built around a relatively small set of recurring images: night, city, road, home, war, star, sun, blood and rain. He rarely explained the circumstances of his narratives in detail, leaving the songs open to different interpretations.
His early work features everyday observations and irony — «Бездельник», «Алюминиевые огурцы», «Мои друзья». In the later albums, the storytelling becomes more concise and serious: «Группа крови», «Спокойная ночь», «Звезда по имени Солнце», «Пачка сигарет», «Кукушка».
Main discography of Kino
Studio albums
- «45» — 1982
- «Начальник Камчатки» — 1984
- «Это не любовь» — 1985
- «Ночь» — 1986
- «Группа крови» — 1988
- «Звезда по имени Солнце» — 1989
- «Чёрный альбом» — 1991, posthumously
Other significant releases
- «46» — 1983, demo recording / magnetic-tape album;
- «Последний герой» — 1989, new studio versions of previously recorded songs.
The number of «studio albums» attributed to Kino can vary between sources specifically because of the status of «46»: the release traditionally appears in the band’s complete discography, but it was created as demo material and is classified separately from conventional studio albums. The original version of this biography listed it alongside the seven principal albums.
Legacy
After Tsoi’s death, places associated with him began to turn into informal memorials. The best known is the Tsoi Wall in Krivoarbatsky Lane in Moscow, which appeared shortly after his death. Another important site is the former «Камчатка» boiler room in Saint Petersburg, which now houses a club museum. The musician’s grave at Bogoslovskoye Cemetery also remains a place of remembrance for fans.
Kino’s songs have been recorded and performed by musicians from many different genres. Tribute projects have been released, including «КИНОпробы», while Yuri Kasparyan took part in the «Симфоническое КИНО» program. Tsoi’s songs are also regularly used in films, television projects and concert programs.
The return of Kino
After Tsoi’s death, the classic band ceased activity. However, in 2012, former members reunited to complete the song «Атаман», based on a surviving vocal recording by Tsoi.
A new Kino concert project later emerged. Since 2021, Yuri Kasparyan, Alexander Titov, Igor Tikhomirov and other musicians have performed a program using restored original vocals by Viktor Tsoi. The creators of the project deliberately rejected the idea of replacing the singer with another vocalist or a digital hologram. By 2026, this lineup continues to perform live.
Viktor Tsoi in rock history
Viktor Tsoi’s main musical career lasted less than ten years — from the formation of Kino in the early 1980s to his final concert in the summer of 1990. During that time, the band progressed from apartment concerts and the Leningrad Rock Club to stadium performances and nationwide fame.
After his death, Tsoi’s songs continued to live independently of their creator. «Группа крови», «Перемен!», «Звезда по имени Солнце», «Кукушка» and «Пачка сигарет» remain part of the concert repertoire of several generations of musicians, while Kino’s recordings continue to be reissued and performed by members of the revived lineup. Tsoi also retained a place in cultural history not only as a musician, but as the leading actor in the film «Игла» and a participant in the Leningrad artistic underground of the 1980s.
