How and where Tsoi died. The sudden death of Viktor Tsoi

On August 15, 1990, Viktor Tsoi passed away. Much has been written about his death in a car accident. But the most complete and truthful were two articles written by Oleg Belikov based on a trip to the site of the tragedy in November 1990. One was published in the newspaper “Live Sound”, the second in the magazine “ Rolling Stone».

Editor LJ Media

Rolling Stone "There will be no cinema"

The idea of ​​going to the place of Tsoi’s death did not arise from me. One of my acquaintances in the capital, a certain Svetka, told me: “We are going to hitchhike to Tukums in November, to the place where Tsoi crashed. Will you come with us? This idea was so firmly lodged in my head that I collected all the available cash - about 300 rubles, bought 2 cartons of Opal cigarettes and went to the editorial office of the local newspaper Znamya Oktyabrya. Having presented to Galina Ivanovna, the editor-in-chief, a proposal to send me on a business trip to “investigate the causes of the death of Viktor Tsoi,” I actually had absolutely no idea how I would conduct this investigation. And so I asked to be given some official document. Credentials.

“We’ll give you paper, of course, but no money!” said Galina Ivanovna. “I’ll go to my own!” I answered, and we began to think about which “grandfather’s village” to address it to. The smartest decision seemed to be to choose the prosecutor of the Tukumsky district as the addressee (since there is a district, it means there must be a prosecutor, and he will always be the head of the police). The paper said that correspondent so-and-so was “sent to collect material about last days life of Viktor Tsoi. Please provide him with all possible assistance."

Having stuffed a camera, a flash, a dozen films and canned food into my bag, I soon stood in front of Svetka and her two friends, who also decided to “see the place.” Coming out of the metro, we wandered towards the highway. "To Riga." I had very little faith that such and such a truck driver behind some devil would put such a horde in his cab and drive it “for nothing” all the way to Riga. Therefore, resolutely leaving the girls fifteen meters from the traffic police post, taking out her “ safe conduct” and an editorial ID, I went to the post. The policeman, carefully running his eyes over the papers and seeing the menacing word “prosecutor,” said: “Well, we’ll have to wait a little until the right car we'll catch you. Are these guys with you too?” he nodded towards the girls. “Yes, correspondents too!” I answered as nonchalantly as possible.

The “needed car” was found with fourth time. “This, take the correspondents towards Riga,” the traffic cop said to the driver. “These?” the driver looked at us incredulously. “Yeah, the documents are in order, I checked.” “Well, let them sit down,” he replied doomedly. In the cockpit, we immediately take the Elektronika-302 tape recorder out of our bag and turn on Tsoi. About halfway, the driver drops us off and goes to sleep at some truck stop known only to him. We, invigorated, trudge along the highway. To top it all off, it's snowing inappropriately. Cold. Rare cars do not stop or “go the wrong way.”

Only at sunrise do we manage to fit into the brand new UAZ, which takes us all the way to Tukums. I leave the girls at the railway station and go in search of the prosecutor's office. Prosecutor Janis Salons, a man with kind eyes, carefully examines my papers. He clearly likes them. He picks up a big thick book that looks like a barn and starts leafing through it. Accidents are recorded in this book. The entry occupies one line: car make, license plate number, owner’s full name. The required entry is found when ten sheets of scribbled paper are flipped back. It seems like accidents happen here almost every hour.

I see the car is registered to Maryana. The case was led by investigator Erika Kazimirovna Ashman. The prosecutor withdraws telephone handset, spins the disk. “Erika Kazimirovna? Now a journalist from Moscow will approach you, please introduce him to case number 480.” I ask: “Are you working today, since the holiday is November 7?” “Well, it’s a holiday for you there, in Moscow, but we don’t have any holiday. We don’t recognize your Soviet holidays.” Erika Kazimirovna first greets me with hostility. The call from the prosecutor's office apparently had no effect on her.

“I have no right at all to show you materials from this case, it is not yet closed, and, besides, your colleagues have already written in the newspapers something that did not happen, and then I got punished for allegedly showing them materials . No, no one came here, you were the first, only one called on the phone from MK, I read him some excerpts, and then he mixed everything up. They wrote that Tsoi was not drunk based on the results of an “examination of active brain cells,” but we don’t have such an examination at all, we have a small town, maybe only in Riga they do such an examination, and I don’t know. They only did a blood test for alcohol, it wasn’t there, and that’s all. Why weren't they taken to Riga? So no one knew, they just said that the young guy crashed. So I’ll let you get acquainted with the case materials, and then you write, and I’ll get it again!”

I feel that now they will say “Goodbye” to me, and I eagerly begin to explain that this is why I am here, to find out everything “first-hand” and to avoid any “inaccuracies.” And what happens in journalism? different people, as, in general, in other professions. “And you probably have those too!” The last argument works, and case No. 480 lies on the table in front of me. I scroll, scroll, scroll. Erika Kazimirovna: “This? This is about the initiation of a criminal case against Viktor Robertovich Tsoi. How for what? As the culprit of the accident. And here is the decision to terminate the case due to the death of the accused. Well, yes, if he had not died, then there would have been a trial, but what do you think, for you he is a singer, but for us he is just a criminal. No, well, they probably wouldn’t have jailed him, but they would definitely have fined him. What did you want, the damage was done to the auto company - Ikarus was just undergoing repairs, and again stopped working for about two months, and that’s money! He didn’t travel, he didn’t carry passengers, the enterprise probably suffered losses of several thousand!”

I'm starting to write down all the most interesting things. A few minutes later I realize that a multi-page volume could take a couple of days of my life. I ask permission to retake some pages. “What are you talking about, I shouldn’t have shown you anything.” Then he gives up: “Okay, just don’t tell anyone, otherwise the case is not closed yet.” I quickly take out my camera and start shooting one page after another. “The driver of Moskvich - 2141 dark blue (license number Ya6832MN), Viktor Robertovich Tsoi, lost control of control on the 35th kilometer of the Sloka-Tulsa highway and drove to the side of the highway, driving 250 meters along it. Then his car hit the fence post of the bridge over the Teitope River. The impact threw Moskvich into the oncoming lane along which the Ikarus-250 bus (license number 0518VRN, driver Janis Karlovich Fibiks) of motor transport enterprise No. 29 in Tukums was moving. The collision time was 11 hours 28 minutes. Weather: +28. Visibility is clear."

Erika Kazimirovna explains to me how to find the landlady Birota Luge, from whom Tsoi rented a room: “Are you by car? Write down: Plientsems village, Zeltini's house. And there are no house numbers there, just tell the taxi driver “Ziltini House”, he will find it. Or the locals will show you, ask, everyone knows there.” Saying goodbye, I take a photo of the owner of the office. “Why should I, don’t need me!” she suddenly becomes embarrassed.

The girls are waiting at the train station, near which there are several free taxis. Let's meet the driver. “Janis. Surname? What for do you need it? Ahhh, journalists. From Moscow?! About Tsoi material?! Melderis is my last name. I know where the accident was. And I took your fans there already. Do you have to travel a lot? Where?". The girls immediately turn on the tape with Tsoi. The driver doesn’t mind and even allows smoking in the cabin. The car rushes in the direction of the village of Plincems. About 20 minutes later we are already entering the village. Janis, leaning out of the window, asks a passerby in Latvian about “Zelini”.

He waves his hand in the direction the car is moving, explaining about the yellow sandstone finish. Hence the name. We're approaching. In the sun the house really shines gold. At the gate Mailbox with the inscription "Zeltini". I enter the yard. The door to the house is closed. I walk around the house. Another door. Also closed. The neighbors who are interested in me explain that Birote is at work, at a fish processing factory. I sit down and let's go. At the edge of the village there is a long one-story building. In front of him is a gate with open doors, into which we drive. I enter and go to look for the boss. Having found it, I explain that I need his employee Birote Luga, which is why we actually came from Moscow.

He nods sympathetically and leads me into the workshop directly to Birote’s workplace. She is sorting through fresh fish. “The journalists came to you from Moscow. You can go home,” says the boss. She quickly and somehow bashfully wipes her hands, takes off her apron, and we go out into the street. Birote categorically refuses to get into the car, assuring that it will come anyway. We are waiting for her at the gate. The house has several rooms. We sit down in the living room. The hostess speaks Russian poorly, and taxi driver Yanis, who volunteered to be a translator, helps us out a lot.

“I got to know Victor through his friend Natalya. She has been coming here every summer for ten years, with her first husband. And the last three years with Victor. Sometimes they took Vita’s son Sasha with them. Usually they came for three months - from June to September. How did you rest? Well, the whole family went to the forest to pick mushrooms. They played badminton. We skated. He often went fishing and often took Sasha with him. No, he didn’t bring much fish, he was not a fisherman. He said he fishes for fun. And that you can’t have such a good rest in noisy Moscow, I repeated every time. He loved the sea very much, there it is - behind the house, behind the pine trees - already the shore. Natalya and I often went there and swam. Ate what? Nothing special, that was. Yes, I really loved tomatoes!”

“Yes, I didn’t really communicate with him. Only when he asked what he could get where. I always brought good wine as a gift. And he hardly drank at all, maybe only a glass or two the whole evening, and then depending on his mood. That day, the day before, he did not touch wine at all. And they sat at the table for a while, started talking, and went to bed too late. In the morning, at about five o'clock, he got ready to go fishing, he wanted to take Sashka with him, but he was tired, and he regretted waking him up. One left... The Muscovite loved his very much, he liked it very much, he only bought it three months ago.” I ask what kind of music he listened to Lately. "Don't even know. I don’t understand it, he had something playing on the tape recorder in his room. Sometimes he played something on the guitar and sang. No, I don't have any photographs of him. You? Will you give it to me? Thank you. What is he, famous musician was?"

How did this happen...

We say goodbye to Birota and go to the scene of the accident. “This is near the Tautopnike farm, there is only one house there,” says Janis. “Fifteen minutes from here, if you drive.” Let's go. Finally the highway turns sharply to the left. Just around the bend is a bridge over the Taitopu River. On the bridge there are already homemade posters with Tsoi’s image, all sorts of ribbons and “baubles”. In the center, near the fence, there is a three-liter jar of flowers. There are also flowers all around, right on the asphalt. Thrifty Svetka takes out a bottle of wine. I open it and we take turns taking a sip. I ask Janis to honk the horn. He nods understandingly and presses the horn several times.

Natasha and Zhenya's eyes begin to shine suspiciously. We finish the bottle and I go to a lonely house. The hostess comes out at my voice. This is Antonina Ivanovna Urbane. She says: “I followed this Ikarus, also on a bus. The driver agreed to give me a ride home. He was ahead of us the whole time. It was traveling empty, just for repairs. Only for a few seconds he disappeared around the bend. We drive up, and everything is already there - Ikarus is standing with its front wheels in the river, and a passenger car, all mangled, is in the middle of the road. The driver of Ikarus had not even had time to get out from behind the wheel - he was in shock. Well, I sent my grandson Kolya Zvonnikov, he’s coming to stay for the summer, call an ambulance and the police. The first ambulance arrived, then the police. The doctors got that guy out of the car, he was pinned there. It was twenty minutes to twelve.”

On the right side of the bridge you can see pieces of concrete knocked out of the fencing by Ikarus and hanging on reinforcement. There are traces of bus wheels in the river. On the other side of the bridge there is also a chipped pillar on the side - the one that Moskvich crashed into. In the middle of the road there is a healthy, crooked scratch about three meters long - crumpled from a terrible blow, it was drawn by the cardan of Tsoev’s car. We get into a taxi. “Where to now?” asks Janis. “It would be nice to find that bus. This is automobile enterprise No. 29. Do you know where?” I say.

“I work there, and this bus is parked in our park; in my opinion, it hasn’t even left the line yet!” We are driving in the middle of a corridor of ship pines. Then lakes begin to appear on the left. It was on one of them that Tsoi cast his fishing rods. In the courtyard of the car park we drive up to that same Ikarus. There is no driver, he went to lunch, and it is not known when he will come. I take a photo of the bus and return to the car. “It would be nice to find Tsoi’s car!” I say. “Why look for her, she’s in our boss’s box, he took her from there!” We're going to the boss.

Sergei Alekseevich Konopiev, having learned about the purpose of the visit, broke into a sly smile: “Wow, I hide it from everyone, I don’t tell anyone, but somehow you found out. You are the first to find me. I put it in my box, and then they found out! Okay, let's go and show you. Nobody touched the car. There I just took the fishing rods, they are in my office, and there were several fish in the trunk, I threw them out, they will spoil anyway. Take a photo of the car? I don’t know, you need to ask your relatives for permission!” he says and calls Leningrad-Maryana. She is not home. Tsoi's parents, Valentina Vasilievna and Robert Maksimovich, were clearly surprised by a call from Tukums with a request to photograph the car. “The car is registered in Maryana’s name, Victor drove it by proxy, it’s up to Maryana to decide, but we can’t decide here.”

The head of automobile enterprise No. 29, Sergei Alekseevich Konopiev, opens the garage in which Viktor Tsoi’s broken Moskvich stands. The girls are coming. As auto mechanics say, “the car cannot be restored.” The front of the car looks like an accordion: the hood has folded in half, and the roof has also reared up. The front seats were pressed into the back seat. Inside the salon we notice a strand of long black hair. The receptive Zhenya, seeing them, immediately begins to sob. Nika, knowing about the ban on filming, pushes me with her elbow and says in a conspiratorial whisper: “He’s turned away and isn’t looking - let’s film!” I answer that I can’t do that.

Sergei Alekseevich opens the trunk. The rear of the car is completely intact, the impact was frontal. In the trunk there is a shabby backpack (apparently for fish) and several folded posters from the MK festival in Luzhniki. On them is the announcement of the gala concert "Sound Track" and in the center is written large - the group "Kino". The car is dark blue (and not white, as some Moscow publications wrote), and the engine is in place. We are leaving the box. Everyone is in a depressed mood

“And here, by the way, is the bus that carried the coffin to Leningrad,” says Sergei Alekseevich, and points to a yellow PAZ-672 with license plate 2115 LTR. “You can take pictures of him, just don’t write his number. Otherwise, the fans in Moscow will greet you and break the windows with stones. How for what? Still, he brought the coffin. No, I also think that the bus has nothing to do with it, but what if? And the driver of the bus was Vladimir Guzanov, he brought it straight from the Tukumskoye morgue to the Bogoslovskoye cemetery. They took Natasha’s coffin, she was here, then Maryana arrived, and, in my opinion, Aizenshpis also came.

We issued the driver travel allowance for two days. After all, no one wanted to take it, everyone refused. Well, first of all, the road to Leningrad is long, and you can’t drive quickly - there’s a coffin after all. But Volodya “fell up” before this while drinking, so they sent him away as punishment.” Saying goodbye, Kopiev gives me his business card with a request to send me the material when it comes out. We're going back to the station. It's starting to get dark. Driving past the scene of the accident, Janis, without our request, gives a long horn.

Please stop at a store and buy cigarettes and candy. The store is full of both, but the stern saleswoman asks me business card buyer. I leave the store with nothing. Seeing my upset face, Janis asks what’s the matter. I explain that I wanted to buy a couple of boxes of chocolates, but they don’t sell them. “Wait, my friend’s driver is unloading, give me 25 rubles.” I give it, and a minute later he returns with two boxes of chocolates. Finally we arrived at the station. There are 23 rubles and kopecks on the meter. The girls whine that they have very little money left. I take out a twenty-five-ruble note and say that “no change is needed,” but it would be better if he honks his horn again when he passes the place of Tsoi’s death. He promises

Live sound “The Death of Tsoi: as it really is”

Introduction

This year Viktor Tsoi would have turned 35 years old. The date is round, but I didn’t live to see it. August 15 will soon come, the day on which a new, already eighth year of life without Tsoi will begin. Many KINO fans are still confident that the death of their idol was not accidental. In those days some means mass media they tried to instill in the public the idea that death had been waiting for the musician for a very long time and was simply choosing the right opportunity to attack.

Some movie fans still believe that Tsoi is alive. Vitina’s most devoted fans tried to conduct their own investigations into the incident, which is why so many rumors, myths and legends arose around a simple accident that it was time to publish a thick book dedicated to the death of the artist. Journalist Oleg Belikov brought unique materials dedicated to that disaster to the editorial office of the newspaper “Living Sound,” including an interview with Vitina’s mother Valentina Vasilyevna Tsoi, dated February 1991 and never published before. Since there is no doubt about the reliability of the factual information, we decided to publish the most truthful version of the tragedy. And finally put an end to this story.

Holidays

One of the income sources of Latvian Birta Luge, who worked at a fish processing plant, was her house, nicknamed “Zeltini” by neighbors in the fishing village of Pliencems (near Riga), or “Golden” in Russian.

Birta met Natalya Razlogova a long time ago - even when she was in her first marriage. So when Razlogova arrived in Pliencems one day with a silent, dark-haired guy named Viktor Tsoi, Ms. Luge simply took note of the changes in the personal life of her regular client. Birta learned only later that he was a musician, and a famous one at that.

Valentina Vasilyevna Tsoi: “I know what a car accident is, I know that he died. I can’t help but believe Natasha’s story. I am a biologist by training, and therefore that act is an undeniable argument for me. I remember, however, that after I tried to read it for the first time, I couldn’t approach him for two months. In fact, you need to be prepared to read papers describing your child's injuries. That is, I’m ready for the physiological and anatomical details of anyone’s death, but it’s a different matter when it’s written about my son! However, there is no escape from this! Life and death - they always stand side by side. I am not going to be specifically interested in the circumstances of his death, from that act I understood that he had a terrible hole in his chest, and he died instantly. But the guys from the Bogoslovskoe cemetery constantly torment me with suggestions that he is not dead. It’s very difficult for a mother.”

Natasha came with Victor and his son Sasha every year for the entire summer - from June to September. The head of the family always brought a bottle as a gift to the hostess good wine, which they drank right away for the meeting. According to Birta, Vitya always said that he never relaxes as well anywhere as at “Zeltini”. And it’s not surprising - behind the house, made of yellow sandstone, there was a small row of pine trees, and right behind them the waves of the bay were already visible. And it was unusually quiet.

Victor and Natasha really appreciated the peace that the fishing village radiated. As a family, they loved to pick mushrooms, play badminton, skateboard and, of course, fish. It was hard to believe that Vitya was “one of those hairy ones” who were always yelling something into the microphone on TV. The guy did not correspond too much to popular ideas about rock music - although he brought a guitar and a tape recorder with him, he did not scream songs in a heart-rending voice. Victor often played something, but this happened only in his room and very quietly.

Valentina Vasilievna Tsoi: “We were walking from the cemetery here, I see the inscriptions around us: “Vitya is alive.” And I say: “Robert, how can you believe that your Vitya is gone?!” And recently there was a phone call. I pick up the phone and hear “Mom!” The only thing I could answer was “Oh, what?!” But not Vitka’s voice, apparently they were confused. And they hung up. After that, I was “spinning” all evening. And then it’s even worse. I really love those guys who live on Bogoslovsky. Vitya went through their fate, and my grief is their grief. And they are trying to prove to me that Vitya is alive. They say: “Valentina Vasilyevna, you know, there is such a sign that animals avoid places where the dead are buried. You will never see them at the grave." I answer: “The crows flew in when I was there, they’re not afraid of anything.” First they sat on an umbrella, and then they flew even closer to the grave.” And they: “A squirrel sat on his grave...” And, imagine, these children, who are always there, next to Vitya, also begin to doubt. One boy from Bogoslovsky, Stas, told me: “You know, at night there is some kind of glow on the grave, something completely unearthly rises up...” In general, they have faith in Vitina’s supernatural power.”

Sashka, the son of Victor and Maryana Tsoi (the musician’s first wife), loved to go fishing with his father. The “men” usually returned home tired but happy, even though there was usually little fish. Apparently, they simply liked the process itself: first, getting ready for fishing, packing equipment, loading it into the car, then driving along the night road and a long vigil by the river.

Valentina Vasilyevna Tsoi: “There was a moment when I wanted to leave. I have accumulated a large number of notebooks of Vita's fans with dedication poems. There's a ton of poetry there, and they're so... killer! And then, at that time, it was quite easy to go to him, you know? Then I kept crying, “sitting” on pills... I hesitated, but constantly convinced myself that I had someone to live for: firstly, it was not clear what would happen to Sasha next, since Maryana was creating new family; secondly, Irina Nikolaevna, Maryanina’s mother is a person in need of help. In addition, I have a sister who is somewhat weak - her mother died, her father died, and I was left with her alone. In short, I decided that I have someone to live for! Need to live! I even have to live! After all, both Robert and his son Lena need me...

- Does Robert have a son?

Yes, Lenya, very much good boy. Robert left us, married someone else, and then came back again. Now his son is already 17 years old, but until he was 14, the guy didn’t even know that he had a brother, Vitya. His mother immediately gave the child her last name - Kuznetsov, and did not allow Robert to see him. The only thing Lenya knew was that his father’s last name was Tsoi. But at the end of the conference, she allowed Robert to call Lena, and they began to communicate - they met, went fishing, and immediately everything worked out. The boy was always drawn to us, he understood Vitka. Now Lenya is taking our last name, he decided so himself. You see, he also needs to live, and we must help him.”

Tragedy

At the beginning of twelve in the morning on August 15, the sun was already starting to get hot, +24. Vitya was returning home from a night fishing trip. This time Sashka did not go with him, because he fell asleep in the evening without waiting for his father. The straight line of asphalt on the Sloka-Tulsa highway between two rows of ship's pines flew under the wheels of Tsoi's car at a speed of 150 km/h. In the trunk were a couple of fishing rods and a catch - several fish. An Ikarus - 250 with license plate 0518 BPH was driving towards him, driven by Janis Karlovich Fibiks. He was transporting an empty bus from repair to his native motor depot No. 29. A lonely one-story house, nicknamed “Teitopnik” in the area, was ahead of the path, both the first and the second.

The owner of Teitopnik, Antonina Urbane, was traveling behind Ikarus on another bus. The Ikarus driving ahead was constantly in her field of vision and only disappeared from sight for a minute - when turning around the house. When Urbane drove up to the house, she saw that the Ikarus was already parked in a roadside ditch, its front wheels having driven off the bridge into a small river. His driver was still in the cab. And in the middle of the road there was a Moskvich with a crumpled hood, which had turned across the highway due to a strong impact. The car's dashboard slid into the front row of seats, pinning the driver to the seat. And the roof of the car, deformed, pinched his head. The crumpled driveshaft left a deep scratch about a meter long on the highway.

The roads in Tukums are not the same as in Russia. They are well paved, so high speeds are not uncommon there. Hence the frequent accidents. For local residents numerous incidents began commonplace. And for the investigator of the Tukums Department of Internal Affairs, Erika Ashmane, who was in charge of case No. 480 about the accident on the 35th km of the Sloka-Tulsa highway, the accident that happened was not something out of the ordinary. In order to record this case, only one paragraph of official paper was needed in the ovedesh documentation. And over the course of a year, this department of internal affairs accumulates dozens of pages with similar records. Antonina Urbane sent her grandson to call an ambulance. The clock showed 11 hours 40 minutes. The ambulance doctor, who arrived at the scene of the accident before the traffic cops, confirmed the death of Viktor Robertovich Tsoi. Somewhere in the archives of the Tukumsky Department of Internal Affairs there is still a petition to initiate a criminal case against citizen V.R. Tsoi as the culprit of the accident. The case was dismissed "due to the death of the accused"

Whether Tsoi fell asleep at the wheel or was lost in thought - no one will know. But it is definitely established that the Moskvich crashed into a bridge fence post, and it was after this that the car was thrown into the oncoming lane under the wheels of the Ikarus. And before that, the car drove about 250 meters along the side of the road.

Did Vitya doze off? Did you move out thinking? Sudden cardiac arrest? Loss of consciousness?

Valentina Vasilyevna Tsoi: “Once Yura Kasparyan told me: “Vitya was a great magician, he controlled thousands of people with the help of the power that he possessed. I can't understand how he managed it. He must have been very strong nature...“ And I remembered how one day Vitka came home, and I said to him: “Listen, you’re so ordinary, why are people going crazy about you?” He is silent in response. “Tell me, how are you doing?” - “Mom, I feel very, very good.” “Vit, is it difficult to be like this?” “Very difficult.”

Funeral

According to the Leningrad program “600 seconds”, in the first days after the death of Viktor Tsoi in Leningrad, the number of suicides jumped by 30%. These were mostly young men and girls who had not yet reached 21 years of age.

The bus with the remains of Viktor Tsoi arrived from Tukums to the gates of the Theological Cemetery (in St. Petersburg) at noon. But his fans said goodbye to Vitya in the morning. First - in a rock club on Rubinshteina 13, then - in Kamchatka (in the boiler room where Tsoi worked). There was never a civil funeral service. It was replaced by the construction of an improvisational exhibition on the cemetery wall. There are photographs, drawings, badges, posters, and dedication poems everywhere. In the lattice of the building there are two bowed Russian flags. And a sea of ​​people with mourning ribbons, tape recorders and guitars. Tsoi's music is everywhere. The coffin, upholstered in dark blue material, is lowered into the grave, and a granite slab with the inscription “Tsoi Viktor Robertovich” is installed. 1962 - 1990". Nearby are two large portraits of Tsoi, a wreath with the inscription: “To the singer and citizen Viktor Tsoi. With regret. Korean Society". After farewell at the grave there is a funeral procession along Nevsky Prospekt. In front are portraits of Tsoi, they are carried in their arms. Bowed flags. Columns of people are accompanied by police. Moving slowly, like an honorary escort. The procession occupies one side of Nevsky. Cars driving behind carefully avoid the marchers. On palace square, under the arches, people begin to chant “Victor is alive!”

On August 15, 1990, one of the most popular Russian rock musicians, a legend, passed away Victor Tsoi. 26 years have passed since his death, but the number of fans of his work continues to grow, as well as the number of attempts to unravel the mystery of his tragic death. The official version - an accident that occurred because Tsoi fell asleep at the wheel - did not convince many. Friends, relatives and thousands of fans of the leader of the Kino group refuse to believe that what happened was an accident and express their assumptions.

The death of Viktor Tsoi was so sudden and premature that many simply refused to believe that what had happened was real. "Tsoi is alive!" – fans wrote on the walls, and they turned out to be right in the sense that his music and prophetic lyrics do not lose relevance today:

Today, June 21, 2017, the legendary Soviet rock musician, founder and leader of the Kino group Viktor Tsoi would have turned 55 years old. Unfortunately, Tsoi has not been with us for almost 27 years. But everything could have turned out completely differently...

The circumstances of the death of Viktor Tsoi are known not only to his devoted fans, but also to those who were even slightly interested in these events. In the summer of 1990, the frontman of the Kino group went on vacation to Latvia, to the small village of Pliencems. On August 15, after a night of fishing, Tsoi drove towards the village and at 11:28 am collided with an Ikarus-250 bus moving in the opposite direction. At the time of his death, Tsoi was in his car, Moskvich-2141, which he purchased the same year.

Why this particular car? Oddly enough, in 1990, “Muscovites” saw a real peak in fashion. The car was attractive appearance, spacious interior and quite powerful engine. For Viktor Tsoi, Moskvich-2141 became the first and, alas, last personal car. Who knows what would have happened if he had bought another car in the spring of 1990. But first things first.

Why did Viktor Tsoi die?

From the operational report of the Latvian State Traffic Inspectorate: "Collision of the Moskvich-2141 car" dark blue with Moscow license plates (the numbers are illegible due to damage to the license plates) with the Ikarus-280 regular bus happened at 12 o'clock on August 15 at the 35th kilometer of the Sloka-Talsi highway, at the turn to Tukums. The Moskvich M-2141 car was moving along the highway at a speed of at least 130 km/h, and the driver, citizen Viktor Robertovich Tsoi, lost control, as a result of which the Moskvich flew into the oncoming lane and collided with the Ikarus passenger bus. . The death of Viktor Robertovich Tsoi occurred instantly; the bus driver was not injured."

Even today, a quick glance at this summary reveals whole line inconsistencies. For example, the time of the accident and the model of the bus were incorrectly indicated. The speed of the car indicated in the document also raises the question - why did Tsoi drive like that? And the report itself, in fact, does not say anything about the causes of the accident. Subsequently, a forensic examination confirmed that Viktor Tsoi was not driving while intoxicated, and allegedly fell asleep at the wheel. It is not surprising that immediately after the official version of the death of the great musician appeared, many unofficial ones appeared. Some fans decided that Tsoi could have committed suicide, others believed that, on the contrary, death was the result of a contract killing. However, both versions seem untenable. The fact is that Viktor Robertovich was strong personality, and would never commit suicide. And it would never have occurred to anyone to “liquidate” Tsoi at the peak of his popularity, and even in such a complicated way.

Place of death of Viktor Tsoi, Tautopnike farm

That's why official version an accident looks very likely. True, the assumption that Tsoi fell asleep at the wheel raises doubts. Moreover, the musician’s wife Marianne did not believe in her either. It is not surprising that over the following years, a variety of interpretations of the reasons for Victor’s death were put forward. Some thought that Tsoi might have been distracted by something, others thought that Tsoi was simply tired. But one of the most interesting investigations was published on the Internet already in 2015. In it, the author suggests that the musician’s attention was weakened due to fatigue after a night of fishing, as well as getting used to an already known route.

Location of the accident

But the most important thing is that the narrow roadside covered with grass could also have played a role. The author of the publication suggested that due to the high speed of the Moskvich, the musician skidded. Tsoi tried to react to the situation, and until the last second he fought for his life. But since the rock music legend did not have enough management experience, he was never able to cope with the situation.

The singer's car after the accident

Of course, we are unlikely to ever find out what actually caused the death of Viktor Tsoi. However, given the available data about the circumstances of that accident, one very interesting conclusion arises: if Viktor Tsoi had gotten into the same accident in another car, most likely he would have survived. Why do we think this way? Judge for yourself. Majority modern cars equipped with exchange rate stability system (ESP, ESC) and ABS. If the same system had been installed on Tsoi’s car, such a strong skid simply would not have occurred - the system would have slowed down the necessary wheels, allowing the car to remain on the track. Moreover, if we assume that Tsoi pressed the brakes purely instinctively, a car equipped with ABS would continue moving without locking the wheels, maintaining controllability. Well, if it did come to a collision, then the rocker would have been given an additional chance of survival by airbags.

The musician and actor Viktor Tsoi, famous in the 80s of the last century, has not lost his popularity even today, even though more than twenty years have passed since his death in a car accident.

In many cities of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine there are Tsoi walls, where fans write quotes from his famous songs, draw portraits of the idol.

The Kino group, led by Viktor Tsoi, became a sensation at the Leningrad rock festival in 1984. From that time on, the popularity of the group grew more and more every day.

The music and lyrics of the songs, authored by Tsoi, fully corresponded to the life attitudes and mood of many young people at that time. Songs containing philosophical reflections, had an effect on the minds of people, many wanted to see themselves in them.

After recording the well-known album called “Blood Type” in 1988, Tsoi’s popularity reached its peak. In the same year, the film “The Needle” was released, where Victor played the aloof, silent Moreau, dressed in black. This film became very popular at the Soviet box office, and many thousands of teenagers began to dress and cut their hair like Tsoi.

But main reason love for this musician - his genuine sincerity and enormous talent. He lived the same way he sang, and many felt it. There is no particular need to tell the singer’s biography, because millions of people know about his work and life. I just want to remember the bright and interesting facts from Victor’s life.

Little is known about the musician’s childhood. In the family, as his father said, Korean traditions were observed.

IN kindergarten Tsoi was silent and embarrassed by his Asian appearance, which made him different from others. He always played separately, avoiding other children. At the same time, their attention and curiosity increased, which confused Victor even more.

While studying at school, the singer loved to stay at home for whole days whenever possible. He read fiction, painted or burned on wood.

One day Tsoi heard the Beatles, and from that moment his life took a new direction. Soon he bought a guitar, and his father showed him the first chords.

Victor didn't have higher education. After exclusion from art school received a specialty as a wood carver. While studying, he worked in the evenings as a stoker in a stoker's room.

Many believe that Marianne, his future wife, played an important role in Victor gaining self-confidence. When he met her, Tsoi had many complexes. It seemed to him that girls didn’t like him, he was uptight and closed.

The singer's favorite color was black. When this man in black went on stage and gave it his all, he exploded millions of people with his energy.

There was a lot in Tsoi's life interesting facts. More details on scanday.ru.

Everything connected with Tsoi has become overgrown in our time a huge amount myths. Therefore, his songs can be considered the most reliable source of information about the singer.

The Crimean Bridge was opened to Tsoyev’s “Blood Type” performed by Olga Kormukhina and legendary guitarist Alexey Belov. And a week later I heard his “Watch yourself, be careful” in a drink shop with a guitar. Not “Vladimir Central”, not “You’re just space, Stas”, but a song by the group “Kino”. Well, on the fences there is an inscription “Tsoi is alive!” next to a three-letter word and the slogan “Glory to Russia” has been emblazoned for many years. From folk art: “Viktor Tsoi choked on matzo.”

After this, the complaints about Sererenikov’s “Summer” (“it really wasn’t like that”) look like childish babble - with Tsoi, anything is possible. He is like Pushkin, he will never leave you.

All the signs of canonization are evident. Removed Feature Film, two more were launched (Alexey Uchitel - about the last period of his life; and Tsoi’s colleague in the group Alexey Rybin - about the first). The biography was published in the series “ZhZL” (it is curious that many years ago a book about Tsoi was published in the invented series “Life famous people"; At that time it was not yet clear whether it was remarkable or not; only popularity was assessed). Several monuments have been erected (for some reason, one is on a motorcycle, as if Tsoi was a “night wolf”). Cover versions of songs are released in brutal quantities, and memorial festivals are held.

But why did the choice fall on Tsoi? In Russian rock, thank God, there is someone to choose from. The constellation of musicians of the Leningrad rock club is compared to “ A mighty bunch"composers of the mid-19th century, it was so bright and talented - like a flash. And there were also Moscow and Sverdlovsk. In addition to Tsoi, out of the entire huge spectrum, only two more were awarded canonization, and on a much more modest scale - Letov and Bashlachev.

And why is rock music essentially a dying genre? Its audience is steadily declining. The rockers themselves now admit this.

The return of interest in the rock of the 1980s is a reaction to the pragmatism of the last 20-25 years. Success today is the result of proper positioning, PR and promotion. That is, it is not a miracle at all. And the success of Tsoi and his colleagues from today looks like a miracle. Young guys who barely knew how to play, idealists, suddenly became interesting to the whole country. No one promoted them, show business in modern understanding didn't exist. This is not a story about money at all. A hero who is concerned about his own advancement and discusses with interest interest in fees is no longer quite a hero. But Tsoi did not live to see these times.

Today it is difficult to imagine the full power of this music and the power of its impact on minds. In the late eighties to the rock club of one provincial town External surveillance was assigned. We observed and sent a man to infiltrate. For a week or two, the guy from the secret services drank with the rockers, listened to music, and hung out. Then he returned to the office. “Well done,” said the authorities, “now write a report: what they talked about, who they met with, everything is as it should be.”

“I can’t,” the agent said. “These are my friends.” He handed in his resignation and continued drinking in the rock club.

Is something like this possible in our time? Is it possible to imagine that an FSB agent, driving in a car on his FSB business, caught Oksimiron on short waves and thought: “Oh, how stupid and petty I have lived these years! No, I will not return to the office for any money!” - and quit. This is unimaginable. There are no miracles - but I want them.

Tsoi did an amazing thing. Unlike Grebenshchikov or Mike, he tried to speak as if nothing had happened before him. Everything Grebenshchikov touches turns into cultural phenomenon, into art, and this dampens the power of the songs. And here is a backhand blow. A naked man on bare ground, out of context. Only Sky, Stars, Sun, Death, Love, Summer are Tsoi’s favorite words.

During a trip to the States, Tsoi was amazed by Disneyland, a collection of glowing dinosaurs. Viktor Robertovich had a very childish, primitive consciousness. If you remember, in the finale of Solovyov’s “ASSY-2”, instead of Tsoi, Shnur appears on the stage of the Green Theater of the Central Park of Culture and Culture. He sings: “We are no longer waiting for change!” The hit is absolutely accurate. Over these thirty years, what Tsoi could only guess about finally became clear: a change in power, social order doesn't have of great importance. The person remains the same. Like the sky and stars. Like a glowing dinosaur.

By the way, there is an amazingly beautiful legend about “Changes”. It comes from Mikhail Sergeevich Gorbachev. I quote the entry from the presentation of Gorbachev’s book “Alone with Myself,” which is given on the Echo of Moscow blog: “Chazov calls me: “Mikhail Sergeevich, Konstantin Ustinovich has died.” I tell Andrei Andreevich (Gromyko): “Something needs to be done differently. People don’t hide it directly... And Tsoi sings “We Demand Change” at concerts. It sounds like “We demand changes,” people say openly and directly. I think about this, I think about it a lot. It is dangerous to start major changes in our country. Dangerous and risky. It is difficult to complete them. But we have to start." He says: “You know, first of all, I completely agree with your assessment of the situation in the country, and I am in favor of starting changes.”

So, with Tsoyev’s song, perestroika began. Of course, this is an aberration of memory. Chernenko died in the spring of 1985. This song was neither recorded nor performed at that time.

Tsoi is a winner, unlike Mike Naumenko. That is why Mike, rooted in the culture of the seventies, a subtle lyricist who influenced all Russian rockers without exception, could not become an idol of an audience of millions. He's a classic extra person, a type almost completely extinct today. A person who prefers to lose with dignity, because winning in our situation is shameful. And by God, the extra person is much nicer than the person who wins and buys. The loser is prettier than the winer. Such heroes were played in films by Dahl and Yankovsky. Remember “Flying in a dream and in reality.” This is a film about people like Mike. He can no longer fly, but at least he dreams of flying. One look at him is enough to unmistakably determine that he is a stranger. A mysterious smile flashes on his face, as if turned inward. Knowledge of a better, different life separates this person from those around him. And in the eyes of others - boredom, complacency, money, consciousness of rightness.

The time comes, and a confident guy appears next to him, all in black, with his chin raised high, who sings: “We will act next!” Who do you think is the future? That's why Tsoi and not Mike.

Lev Naumov

Writer, biographer of Bashlachev

- To date external signs Bashlachev’s confessions are more than enough: performances, festivals, books. At one time, a bus with a portrait of Alexander on board traveled around the Vologda region. Now he is no longer there, but the fact itself is indicative. In Cherepovets there was and, it seems, there still is a fence hung with photographs of the poet.

The idea to erect a monument to him backfired unpleasant stories. There were many projects, two of which came to fruition. One sculptor collected money, but something didn’t work out for him, and he decided to make a memorial plaque instead of a statue. People were outraged: they donated money for the monument. This board now hangs on the former building of the House of Culture, where the Rock-September group performed, for which Alexander wrote lyrics. Now there are three in Cherepovets memorial plaques Bashlachev.

Another project is very disliked by the poet’s family and relatives, however, work on it continues and funds are being raised. People transfer money with the best intentions, not knowing that supporting this monument is a slap in the face of Bashlachev’s mother, who is horrified by it. And its author, a certain Maria Ivanova-Ocheret, takes quotes from my book without references and under them places details for raising money for the monument. I did not give my consent to work for this scam.

There is an annual festival called "Time of Bells", which, it seems to me, has everything every year less attitude to Bashlachev, except for the banner with the portrait. Moreover, it now takes place in April, although Alexander’s birthday is May 27. But around this date falls Chemist Day, an important holiday for Cherepovets, and other concerts are organized on this occasion.

There are also numerous performances, there was even a ballet. To be honest, you won’t remember without trembling. About six people approached me about filming films, including feature films. Some people asked me to write a script, but I don't want to do that. However, it is obvious that sooner or later a film about Bashlachev will appear.

All these manifestations - festivals, buses, fiddling with the monument - are not canonization, but its consequences, and far from the best. Alexander's poems have been included in the canon for a long time. And then everyone tries to use his name for their own purposes: some for business, some for self-PR, some for propaganda. But I am sure that this is not imposed from above. It’s just that sometimes Bashlachev’s fans turn out to be high enough to stick his face on a bus. But he also has other fans.

Why Bashlachev? It seems to me that what he did in poetry is a miracle, a supernatural phenomenon. And any miracle has enormous educational potential. Young people are very sensitive to this kind of thing. Alexander is understandable and close to young people. emotional level. Of course, he is a complex poet, and the word “understandable” must be put in quotation marks, but he is perceived as understandable because at least they share the level of his exaltation.

Bashlachev's poems were included in school reading books; his name is mentioned in the same breath as Yesenin and Brodsky. It is now mandatory to read and listen to it, or at least just know it, if you consider yourself a person of a certain cultural level.

Alexander has never been and, I think, will never be massively popular. But he entered a certain canon. James Joyce has long been canonized, but how many people read him? Of course not. It’s a similar story with Bashlachev.

When I started working on it, it was 2005, it was hard to imagine that it would be like this. Yes, the Russian soul spoke through him, but in the late eighties, during his lifetime, few people needed it. It would take thirty years for this conversation to become urgently needed. Bashlachev himself would be very surprised if he saw this. It is higher, more subtle than this situational demand. But it just so happened: the moment finally came when time and Bashlachev coincided.

Note that this did not happen with Mike Naumenko, Yanka Diaghileva, Anatoly Krupnov, Venya Drkin, Alexey Khvostenko, although they all have a wide circle of admirers. We have someone to choose from, these are the authors the highest level. But time works according to its own laws. And neither business, nor government, nor propaganda can do anything about it.

Natalia Chumakova

Widow of Yegor Letov, bass guitarist of the group " civil defense»

— Sometimes funny letters come: “We have developed the concept of a musical for teenagers with adapted texts by Letov.” And as an example of adaptation - a tasteless gag. Let's say, instead of: “On my cap there is a sickle and a hammer and a star” - “Under my cap there is complete emptiness.” There really is emptiness under the cap. What touching concern for the younger generation! Yes, it will give these figures a head start in understanding the texts of “GO”. There is no need to adapt anything.

There are also positive examples. A wonderful performance "Letov" of the Novosibirsk theater " an old house", it was installed three years ago. Alisa Khazanova is beautiful in the play “The Shining”. Alisa really loves Letov songs and sang them beautifully. At least it was done with care.

Two books about Yegor are being prepared for publication. And this is in addition to what has already been published: “Offline”, “Autographs”. Two films have been shot - “Healthy and Forever” and “The Radiance Will Fall Down.” There are several symphonic versions of Defense songs, of varying quality, some successful, some not so good.

I know that there are plans to erect a monument to him, to make a memorial wall. I hope nothing comes of this. I can’t imagine coming and taking pictures at this wall. But “Planet” is already raising funds, I understand that they cannot be stopped.

This never happened during my lifetime. Unless at the very beginning of the nineties, when “Defense” became folk group, something like movement. Yegor felt this and stopped performing for a while. Several times he disbanded the staff, and precisely for this reason: he did not want to shepherd the people, to play the role of the ruler of thoughts, the leader. He never pretended to be spiritual leader. They asked him: “Egor, where should we go, what should we do?” And I saw how awkward he was. They constantly tried to drag Letov into their company, to win him over to their side.

Once a correspondent asked: “What do you recommend? young man who wants to go into politics? Letov said: “Let him get a cat, or something.”

This is a completely in his spirit answer.

The hype did the band a disservice. There is a whole layer of people who throughout the nineties and early 2000s did not go to our concerts because they were afraid, relatively speaking, that they would puke on their shoes. The concerts took place in terrible cultural centers on the outskirts, with fights, with the police, with water cannons. Then, already in last period, when we started playing in good big halls, the audience increased sharply.

Moreover, after 2005, “Defense” began to be heard on “Our Radio”. True, we had nothing to do with this. We signed a contract with the Mystery of Sound label for the release of the albums "Long happy life" and "Reanimation". And the contract stated that two songs should be on the radio. “Mystery” itself took them there.

The songs of “Defense” are already classics or, let’s say, alternative classics. But, unfortunately, Letov was turned into frozen image, a monument to himself. Unambiguousness and completeness appear, and it was these that he had avoided all his life.

“The world caught me, but did not catch me” - he was very fond of this phrase. And I don't want him to be caught after his death.

It is often taken literally, and this is the worst thing. There were cases, especially in the 1990s, when, after listening to “Defense,” someone committed suicide. But there was more to it than that. At concerts people came up and told stories of how music saved them. Helped me survive in the army, for example. Or were they completely mystical cases: the man was sick, dying, they brought him a cassette and, hearing Letov, he perked up. Because this music is not about everything being bad, so lie down and die. Vice versa. Everything is bad, of course, but get up, take the machine gun and fight. The main thing is not to be afraid.

Various kinds of things revolved around him all his life. protest people, trying to make it their banner. Protest against Soviet power, protest against the post-Soviet. But he went through these phases, and they remained in them. And in the end he reached such spiritual thresholds beyond which there is no one against, but only for. There all these oppositions cease to make sense.

Letov played against the rules, or rather, according to his own rules - and he succeeded. He is a winner, a man who managed to impose his will on the world. He did everything he wanted to do and never made any concessions. Oh, what mountains they promised us and how many we sent! But the love is still huge. Because many would have liked it that way, but it worked out for Letov.