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{{Infobox musical artist
| name         = Viktor Tsoi
| image        = Victor Tsoi 1986 cropped.jpg
| caption      = Viktor Tsoi in 1986, photo by [[Igor Mukhin]]
| background   = solo_singer
| birth_name   = Viktor Robertovich Tsoi
| birth_date   = {{birth date|1962|6|21|df=yes}}
| birth_place  = [[Saint Petersburg|Leningrad]], [[Soviet Union]]
| death_date   = {{death date and age|1990|8|15|1962|6|21|df=yes}}
| death_place  = [[Tukums]], [[Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic|Latvian SSR]], Soviet Union
| origin       = 
| genre        = [[Post-punk]], [[New wave music|new wave]], [[gothic rock]], [[punk rock]]
| occupation   = [[Singer-songwriter]], musician
| instrument   = Guitar, vocals, bass guitar, keyboards
| years_active = 1978–1990
| label        = AnTrop, [[Melodiya]]
| website      =
| associated_acts = [[Kino (band)|Kino]], [[Avtomaticheskie udovletvoriteli]]
}}

'''Viktor Robertovich Tsoi''' ({{lang-ru|Ви́ктор Ро́бертович Цой}}; 21 June 1962 – 15 August 1990) was a [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] musician, singer, and songwriter of [[Koreans|Korean]]-[[Russians|Russian]] origin, leader of the [[post-punk]] band [[Kino (band)|Kino]].

He is regarded as one of the pioneers of [[Russian rock]] and has many devoted fans across the countries of the former Soviet Union even today. Few musicians in the history of Russian music have been more popular or have had more impact on their genre than Viktor Tsoi and his rock band [[Gruppa Kino|Kino]]. Tsoi contributed a plethora of musical and artistic works, including ten albums. Viktor Tsoi died in a [[car accident]] on August 15, 1990, aged 28.<ref>http://www.rigathisweek.lv/event/cultural_agenda/heavy/cabaret-band-silver-wedding-bellorussia/381</ref><ref>http://www.dispatchbox.net/index.php/2013/07/14/retour-en-urss-gloire-du-soviet-rock-et-de-viktor-tsoi/</ref>

==Early life==
Tsoi was born in [[Saint Petersburg|Leningrad]], [[Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic|Russian SFSR]], [[Soviet Union]]. He was the only child of Valentina Vasilyevna Tsoi (née Guseva) (8 January 1939 in [[Saint Petersburg|Leningrad]], [[Soviet Union]] – 28 November 2009 in [[Pushkin, Saint Petersburg|Pushkin]], Russia), a [[Russian people|Russian]] schoolteacher, and Robert Maximovich Tsoi (born 5 May 1937 in [[Kyzylorda]], [[Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic|Kazakh SSR]], [[Soviet Union]]; today's [[Kazakhstan]]), a [[Koryo-saram|Soviet-Korean]] engineer. Tsoi's Korean ancestry can be traced back to [[Songjin]], [[Hamgyong]], [[Korea]] (today's [[Kimchaek]], [[North Korea]]), where his great-grandfather Choi Yong-nam was born.<ref>[https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=ru&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fprimamedia.ru%2Fnews%2Fsociety%2F04.02.2015%2F418926%2Frodstvenniki-viktora-tsoya-zhili-vo-vladivostoke-v-rayone-pervoy-rechki.html Relatives of Viktor Tsoi lived in Vladivostok in the area of the first Rivers] (translation).</ref>

Tsoi attended an art school from 1974 to 1977, and also attended the [[Serov Artistic Academy]] in Leningrad from 1977 to 1978. In 1979, when Tsoi was 17 years old, the academy expelled him for poor grades.<ref>"[http://russiapedia.rt.com/prominent-russians/music/viktor-tsoy/ Prominent Russians: Viktor Tsoy]." ''[[RT (TV network)|RT]]''. Retrieved on 8 November 2011.</ref>

==Career==

At the age of 17, Tsoi began writing songs. In the 1970s and the 1980s, rock was an underground movement limited mostly to Leningrad; [[Moscow]] pop stars ruled the charts and received the most exposure from the media. However, rock music was not popular with the government. Thus rock bands received little or no funding and were not given any exposure by the media. By this time Tsoi had begun to perform the songs he wrote at parties.

Tsoi went to underground concerts of Leningrad rock musicians. After a [[Boris Grebenshchikov]] solo concert he returned with Grebenshchikov by commuter train from [[Petergof]] to Leningrad and played two of his songs to him.<ref>[http://lichnosti.net/people_60.html Viktor Tsoi's biography] at the website lichnosti.net</ref> Grebenshchikov, who had already been a relatively established musician in the Leningrad underground scene, was very impressed by Tsoi's talent and helped him start up his own band. This was the beginning of Tsoi's rock music career.

==Beginnings of Kino==
[[Leningrad's Rock Club]] was one of the few public places where rock bands were allowed to perform. In 1983 at the Leningrad Club "Kafe", he made his stage debut as a bassist, however, in 1982, he already had a band formed called Автоматические Удовлетворители (Avtomaticheskie Udovlyetvorityeli) At the Leningrad Rock Club, he played as a solo artist supported by two members of [[Aquarium (band)|Aquarium]]. Tsoi's innovative lyrics and music impressed the crowd.

Before making it big, Tsoi said that the problem with music was that no one wanted to take chances. He wanted to experiment with lyrics and music in order to create something fresh that no one had ever heard before. Tsoi succeeded in his goal. Shortly after the concert he recruited other musicians and they formed [[Kino (band)|Kino]], which in Russian means both "cinema" and "film". They recorded a demo tape at Tsoi's apartment. This tape was quickly passed around Leningrad, and then all over the country by rock enthusiasts. Kino began to gain popularity.

===First album===
In 1982, Kino released their first [[Samizdat]] album ''[[45 (Kino album)|45]]''. This album first showed Tsoi's willingness to approach political topics in his music, something few other artists were willing to do.  In his song "Commuter Train" ({{lang-ru|Электричка}}) he discussed a man stuck in a train that was taking him where he didn't wish to go; this was clearly a metaphor for life in the Soviet Union, and the band was quickly banned from performing this song live. Regardless, the political message of the song made it popular among the youth of the anti-establishment movement that now began to look to Viktor Tsoi and Kino as their idols.

In 1982, Tsoi met Marianna Rodovanskaya, whom he married in 1985. She was a source of support and family for Tsoi, giving birth to their son Alexander (Sasha) on 5 August 1985. Marianna Tsoy became the owner of rights to her husband's songs after his death. She survived Viktor by 15 years before dying from cancer in 2005.<ref>[http://www.kp.ru/daily/23535/41437/ Marianna Tsoy has died]</ref> However, Tsoi separated from his wife a few years before his death. However, the two did not officially divorce due to their son, Aleksandr (Sasha).<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://ria.ru/spravka/20150815/1181465291.html|title = Биография Виктора Цоя|website = РИА Новости|access-date = 2016-03-09}}</ref>

Kino displayed more of their political views at the 2nd Leningrad Rock Club Concert. The band won the competition with Tsoi's anti-war song {{nowrap|"I Declare My Home...}} [a nuclear-free zone]" ({{lang-ru|Я объявляю свой дом ... [безъядерной зоной]}}). The song's popularity was fueled by the ongoing [[Soviet war in Afghanistan|Afghan War]] which was claiming the lives of thousands of young Soviet citizens. Several sources claim that Viktor Tsoi went to a psychiatric hospital to evade [[conscription]], which is generally regarded as true by his fans, as there are various resources that state that he checked into the hospital for 6 months,<ref name="rockcult.ru">{{Cite web|url = http://rockcult.ru/viktor-coj-v-25-faktah-o-nem/|title = Виктор Цой в 25 фактах о нем - Rock Cult|website = Rock Cult|language = ru-RU|access-date = 2016-03-09}}</ref> however some still claim that it is a mere [[Lie|myth]] as doctor-patient confidentiality prevents any reliable source from revealing any relevant information.<ref>
[https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=ru&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=ru&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lawmix.ru%2Fmedlaw%2F36552 Paragraph 5 of the relevant legal act of the USSR: 1979 year] (translation).</ref><ref>[https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=ru&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=ru&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.libussr.ru%2Fdoc_ussr%2Fusr_14517.htm Paragraph 5 of the relevant legal act of the USSR: 1988 year] (translation).</ref><ref>
[https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=ru&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=ru&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fbase.garant.ru%2F10136860%2F Article 9 of the relevant legal act of Russia: 1992 year with the corrections in 2013] (translation).</ref><ref>[https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=ru&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=ru&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fbase.garant.ru%2F12191967%2F2%2F%23block_120 Article 13 of the relevant legal act of Russia: 1 January 2012 with the corrections in 2013] (translation).</ref>

===Gorbachev era===
[[File:Russia stamp V.Tsoi 1999 2r.jpg|thumb|Russian stamp devoted to Viktor Tsoi, 1999]]
Kino was still not getting Soviet media attention when [[Mikhail Gorbachev]] was appointed [[General Secretary of CPSU]] in 1985. The social and economic reforms associated with the latter's name exposed social and economic problems of the Soviet Union allowing open discussion of them in the media. Restrictions on the media were loosened and rock bands became mentioned in the newspapers and shown on TV. In 1986 Tsoi used the open atmosphere and public sentiment to release a song titled "Changes!" ({{lang-ru|Перемен!}}). The song called on the young generation to demand changes within the current system and spread Kino's name all over the nation.

==Rise to fame==
1987 was a breakthrough year for Kino. The release of their 5th album (or 6th album, depending on whether the experimental album "46" is counted. Most fans consider it a genuine album) [[Blood Type (album)|''Blood Type'']] (''Gruppa Krovi'') triggered what was then called "Kinomania". The open political climate under glasnost allowed Tsoi to make ''Blood Type'', his most political album, yet it also allowed him to record a sound of music that no one before him had been able to play. Most of the tracks on the album were directed at the youth of the Soviet Union, telling them to take control and make changes within the nation; some of the songs addressed the social problems crippling the nation. The sound and lyrics of the album made Tsoi a hero among Soviet youth and Kino the most popular rock band ever. In the diverse Soviet republics, fans translated his originally Russian lyrics into their native languages as well. 

Over the next few years, Tsoi appeared in several successful movies and also traveled to the United States to promote his films at film festivals. Several more albums were released, their themes were once again mostly political, further fueling the band's popularity. Even though Tsoi was a huge star, he still lived a relatively ordinary life. He kept his old job in the boiler room of an apartment building, called Kamchatka, which he would later go on to buy, and currently, it is designed as a museum/club dedicated to the singer. The fact that he worked at a boiler plant surprised many people. Tsoi said that he enjoyed the work and he also needed the money to support the band, as they still received no government support and their albums were copied and passed around the nation via ''[[samizdat]]'' free of charge. This made Tsoi even more popular among the people because it showed that he was down to earth and they could relate to him. He also went on tour in 1988–1989 to Italy, France, and Denmark. Kino's finest hour came in 1990 with a concert at Moscow's [[Luzhniki Stadium]]. 62,000 fans filled the stands to celebrate the triumph of the USSR's most successful rock group. It also was one of the four times the Luzhniki Olympic Fire was ever lit.

==Film appearances==
In 1987, the band Kino, along with other [[Russian rock]] bands, appeared as themselves in ''[[Assa (film)|Assa]]'' (''Асса''), a film by [[Sergei Solovyov]]. However, the film as a whole has nothing to do with Rock, and Kino simply appears as a cameo in the end.

In 1988, Viktor Tsoi starred as the protagonist in ''[[Needle (1988 film)|The Needle]]'' ({{lang-ru|Игла}}, ''Igla''), directed by [[Rashid Nugmanov]] and written by Aleksandr Baranov and Bakhyt Kilibayev. The plot is centered around the character Moro, who returns to [[Almaty]], [[Kazakhstan]], to collect money owed to him. While waiting out an unexpected delay, he visits his former girlfriend Dina and discovers she has become a morphine addict. He decides to help her kick the habit and fight the local drug mafia responsible for her condition. But Moro finds a deadly opponent in "the doctor," the mafia kingpin who is exploiting Dina.<ref>Written by Forrest Ciesol for IMDB</ref> Viktor was nominated for an award for his role in the film.<ref name="rockcult.ru"/>

The film's soundtrack, including original music by Tsoi's band Kino, contributes to the overall feeling of the movie, in addition to the film's use of post-modern twists and surreal scenes.

The movie was officially released in February 1989 in the Soviet Union.

== Personal life ==
Viktor lived with his wife, Marianna Tsoi (née Rodovanskaya, May 5, 1959 - June 27, 2005),<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=15576170|title=Marianna Igorevna Rodovanskaya Tsoi (1959 - 2005) - Find A Grave Memorial|website=www.findagrave.com|access-date=2016-11-13}}</ref> and his son Alexander (born 1985). However, as he loved somebody else during his marriage, he was only married to Marianna because of their son. Tsoi lived a very harsh and poor life, with Marianna saying that they couldn't even afford a proper wedding dress. Most of his albums were illegally passed around and hence not much money actually came to him and the band.<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://namu.wiki/w/%EB%B9%85%ED%86%A0%EB%A5%B4%20%EC%B5%9C|title = 나무위키|last =|first =|date =|website =|publisher =|access-date =}}</ref> He worked and lived in the boiler room of Kamchatka. He previously also worked in Kyiv, Ukraine, however when the authorities found out he was illegally working, they sent him back to Moscow.<ref name="rockcult.ru"/>

The surviving members of his family—Robert Tsoi, his father, and Alexander Tsoi, both live in Saint Petersburg, with Robert having recently beat cancer and Alexander Tsoi (Molchanov), changing his last name and becoming a web designer.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.sobaka.ru/oldmagazine/glavnoe/17831|title = Дети рока. Александр Цой|website = Собака.ru|access-date = 2016-03-09}}</ref>

Marianna Tsoi died on June 27, 2005, after a battle with cancer.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.besttopnews.com/social/28-06-2005/2911-coy-0/|title=She died a widow of Victor Tsoi. What will happen to the monument of rock legends?|website=BestTopNews.Com|access-date=2016-11-13}}</ref>

==Death and aftermath==
[[File:Victor Coy Crash Bridge.jpg|thumbnail|left|The road Sloka – Talsi https://goo.gl/maps/zYYs3]]
[[File:Victor Coy Death Road and Bridge.jpg|thumbnail|right|Road P128 https://goo.gl/maps/zYYs3]]
While in [[Latvia]], on 14 August 1990, Tsoi finished recording the vocals for Kino's next album. He was supposed to travel back to Leningrad so that his band mates could record its musical score. Early in the morning of 15 August, Viktor Tsoi was driving on the Sloka – [[Talsi]] road from a fishing trip when his [[Moskvitch 2141 Aleko]] collided with an [[Ikarus Bus|Ikarus 250]] bus outside [[Tukums]] at high speed. Tsoi died almost instantly. His car was completely destroyed to the point that one of its tires was never found. The investigation concluded that Tsoi had [[Sleep deprived driving|fallen asleep while driving]], possibly due to [[fatigue (safety)|fatigue]];<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ria.ru/infografika/20070815/71713181.html |script-title=ru:Гибель Цоя: как произошла авария на трассе Слока-Талси. ИНФОграфика – РИА Новости |language=Russian |trans-title=Tsoi's Death: How Did the Accident on Sloka-Talsi Road Happen |publisher=Rian.ru |date=2007-08-15 |accessdate=2013-08-27}}</ref> he had not consumed alcohol for at least 48 hours before his death. Tsoi had wanted to take his son Alexander (Sasha) with him on the trip, but Sasha did not go. Tsoi was buried in a closed casket.

On 17 August, ''[[Komsomolskaya Pravda]]'', one of the main Soviet newspapers, had the following to say about Tsoi and his meaning to the youth of the nation:

<blockquote>''Tsoi means more to the young people of our nation than any politician, celebrity or writer. This is because Tsoi never lied and never sold out. He was and remains himself. It's impossible not to believe him... Tsoi is the only rocker who has no difference between his image and his real life, he lived the way he sang... Tsoi is the last hero of rock.''</blockquote>
<gallery>
[[File:Mourning ceremony Victor Choi.jpg|thumb|spontaneous mourning ceremony in St.Petersburg]]
</gallery>
The tape which contained the only recording of Tsoi's vocals for the next album was recovered and the surviving members of Kino recorded the music to the album, which was christened [[The Black Album (Kino album)|''Black Album'']] as a sign of mourning for the fallen singer. The album became the band's most popular creation.

==Cultural impact==

[[File:Victor Coy Electric Post.jpg|thumbnail|left|One of the most popular graffiti slogans in Russia and within ex-USSR nations says "Tsoi is alive and always will be in our hearts" ("Цой жив и всегда будет жить в наших сердцах!") or the common short version "Tsoi is alive" ("Цой жив").]]

[[File:Tsoi Wall 02.JPG|thumb|The [[Tsoi Wall]] in the [[Arbat District]] of Moscow.]]
Kino's impact on Soviet music and society was huge. The group introduced a sound and lyrics that no other Soviet artist before them was able or willing to produce. Kino opened the doors for modern Russian rock bands. It is displayed today in many places around Russia, from graffiti on the fences of [[St. Petersburg]] to an entire wall dedicated to Viktor Tsoi in a bylane of the famous [[Arbat street]] in Moscow, where fans still gather to remember their hero. Other Tsoi Walls can also be found in [[Minsk, Belarus]] and in some regions of [[Kazakhstan]]. In 2000 some of the nation's top rock bands came together and released their interpretations of Kino's best songs as a tribute to Viktor Tsoi on what would have been his 38th birthday.

Most recently, Viktor Tsoi's "Gruppa krovi" is played through ''[[Grand Theft Auto IV]]'''s fictional radio station Vladivostok FM.

South Korean rock band [[Yoon Do Hyun Band|YB]] covered the song "Gruppa krovi".

On June 21, 2012, [[Google]] commemorated Tsoi's 50th birthday with a [[Google Doodle]] reminiscent of the [[Tsoi Wall]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://en.rian.ru/art_living/20120621/174155307.html |title=Soviet Rock Idol Tsoi Celebrated in Google Doodle |publisher=En.rian.ru |date=2012-06-21 |accessdate=2013-02-04}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.google.com/doodles/viktor-tsois-50th-birthday |title=Viktor Tsoi's 50th Birthday |publisher=Google Doodles |date=2012-06-21| accessdate=2015-03-26}}</ref>

[[Viktor Ahn]], a [[South Korea]]n-born Russian [[short track speed skating|short track speed skater]] chose his Russian name "Viktor" in honor of Tsoi.<ref name=UTSD-2014-02-10>{{cite news |url= http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/feb/10/olympics-speed-skating-Viktor-Ahn/ |title= Viktor Ahn: For Russia, with love |author= Mark Zeigler |date= 10 February 2014 |publisher= U-T San Diego }}</ref>

In 2012, on his 50th birthday, the members of Kino gathered to record the song Ataman (Атаман), with his vocals that were recovered from his car crash but never used because of its poor quality. The drummer Georgiy Guryanov died shortly after, making Ataman the last song recorded by Kino and its members.

==See also==
{{Portal|Russia|Biography|Rock music}}
*[[Koryo-saram]], regarding the history and culture of Koreans in [[Post-Soviet states]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{ru icon}} "Виктор Цой, Звезда по Имени Солнце: Стихи, Песни, Воспоминания", Eksmo, 2001.
*{{cite book|first=Marianna|last=Tsoi|author2=Aleksandr Zhitinsky |title=Viktor Tsoi: stikhi, dokumenty, vospominaniya|url=http://www.kino.volga.ru/helicon.htm#9|location=St. Peterburg|publisher=Novy Gelikon|year=1991|isbn=5-85395-018-5|language=Russian}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*{{IMDb name|0875129}}
*[http://www.kinoman.net/ an other Tsoi fan site], in Russian
*[https://www.google.com/doodles/viktor-tsois-50th-birthday Viktor Tsoi&#39;s 50th Birthday] Google Doodle

{{Kino (band)}}
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{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tsoi, Viktor}}
[[Category:1962 births]]
[[Category:1990 deaths]]
[[Category:Koryo-saram]]
[[Category:Musicians from Saint Petersburg]]
[[Category:Singers from Saint Petersburg]]
[[Category:Russian singer-songwriters]]
[[Category:Soviet male film actors]]
[[Category:Russian male film actors]]
[[Category:Road incident deaths in Latvia]]
[[Category:Road incident deaths in the Soviet Union]]
[[Category:Russian people of Korean descent]]
[[Category:Russian rock singers]]
[[Category:Kino (band)|Kino]]
[[Category:Soviet male singers]]
[[Category:Russian male singers]]
[[Category:20th-century singers]]
[[Category:New wave musicians]]
[[Category:Russian male singer-songwriters]]
[[Category:Post-punk musicians]]
[[Category:Soviet people of Korean descent]]