Kino-fans gather in Moscow.
Kino often written uppercase (КИНО); was a Soviet rock band headed by Viktor Tsoi. It was one of the most famous Soviet rock groups of the 1980s.
August 15, 1990 Viktor Tsoi died in a car accident near Riga. The tape with the vocal track for the new album survived the accident. The album was completed by the rest of the band and released in 1990 without a title, though it is always cited as The Black Album since it has a wholly black cover.
The band's popularity in the Soviet Union was so extraordinarily high that after Tsoi's death, the words “Цой жив!” ("Tsoi is alive!") and “КИНО” appeared on public surfaces throughout the country. Writing these words became a kind of a memorial ritual among fans of the band. Even today the slogan occasionally surfaces in urban graffiti (see picture)
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's 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 (picture), where fans still gather to remember their hero.
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. Even though he is gone, Viktor Tsoi still lives in the minds of many Russian youths.
Text from Wikipedia.
Photo: Johan Edlund.
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