Russian rock has always been a rather insular space where a narrow circle of artists who rose to fame a good 40 years ago still rule the roost. During this time, a distinctive fan culture developed around the pioneering bands of Russian rock, where a person’s favorite group often reveals a great deal about their character. 

If I am talking to a fan of DDT, I can be almost certain that they hold liberal-democratic views, are longtime readers of Novaya Gazeta and are critical of President Vladimir Putin. If I am dealing with an admirer of Korol i Shut or Sektor Gaza, the picture is likely to be quite the opposite. If someone sympathizes with Boris Grebenshchikov or Zemfira, their moderately liberal outlook is usually accompanied by a certain degree of aesthetic sophistication and snobbery.

There are almost no exceptions to these character templates. One, however, springs to mind immediately, for it is the most iconic and best-known Russian rock band, both in Russia and abroad. That is, of course, Kino and its frontman, Viktor Tsoi.

The band’s unique status is very easy to observe if you search for Kino’s songs on YouTube. Among the most viewed videos, you will find an incredible number of compilations of footage of the most significant and traumatic events in the history of post-Soviet Russia, with Kino’s best-known hits playing in the background. In particular, the 1991 Soviet coup attempt, the 1993 constitutional crisis, the war in Chechnya and the invasion of Ukraine. 

Kino’s songs are sung by both Putin’s supporters at propaganda concerts and his opponents at protests. Yet Tsoi himself died in 1990 at the age of 28 and, during his lifetime, refrained from making any political comments at all.

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The man’s worldview is neatly reflected in a conversation........

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