Viktor Tsoi

Biography

Viktor Tsoi was a Soviet and Russian singer-songwriter who co-founded Kino, one of the most popular bands in the history of Russian music. Born in Leningrad to a Russian mother and Koryo-saram father, Tsoi started writing songs as a teenager and became a key figure in the 1988 Kazakh new wave art film The Needle. His genre-pushing style combined with philosophy helped popularize rock music throughout the Soviet Union, leaving a devoted following across ex-Soviet countries.