August 15 — Viktor Tsoi Memorial Day: events in Moscow and other cities

Viktor Tsoi Memorial Day is celebrated annually on August 15, the anniversary of the musician's death in a car accident. On this day, festivals, rock concerts and other events are organized, during which fans can hear their idol's songs and watch films with his participation. In 2025, the memorable date falls on Friday. Izvestia tells how it will be celebrated in Moscow, St. Petersburg and other Russian cities.

Viktor Tsoi Memorial Day in 2025 — the life and death of a legend

Viktor Tsoi was born on June 21, 1962 in Leningrad (Saint Petersburg) in the family of an engineer and a physical education teacher. The future star inherited his colorful oriental appearance from his Korean father, who set him apart from other members of the rock scene.

Since early childhood, Victor showed an aptitude for drawing, so his parents enrolled him in an art school. He maintained his love for drawing throughout his life, as well as for another hobby — wood carving. Choi often carved Japanese netsuke figurines and ashtrays, which he gave to friends.

However, his main passion was music. His parents gave him his first guitar in the fifth grade. While studying at the college, Tsoi founded his first group, Ward No. 6. Later, in 1981, the group "Garin and the Hyperboloids" appeared, later renamed "Cinema". A year later, the band performed on the stage of the Leningrad Rock Club, where "Aquarium", "Zoo", "Alice" and "DDT" also played in the early 80s.

The band debuted in 1982 with the album "45" — this is the total length of the tracks on the record. Two years later, the album "Chief of Kamchatka" was recorded, which Tsoi was inspired by working in a boiler room. In order not to be charged with parasitism, which was considered a criminal offense in the USSR, the musician had to combine performances with the duties of a fireman.

All-Union fame came to the band after the release of the album "This is not Love" in 1985. But the album "Blood Type", released in 1988, became truly iconic in the discography of "Cinema". In between recordings, the musicians performed in the USA and recorded the album "Red Wave", produced by American singer Joanna Stingray. In addition to the "Cinema", it included three more Leningrad rock bands - "Aquarium", "Alice" and "Strange Games".

In addition to his musical work, Viktor Tsoi was also known for his work in films, continuing to work on new records. His plans and life ended abruptly on August 15, 1990. On the highway in Latvia, the musician's car crashed into a bus. According to investigators, the singer fell asleep at the wheel, returning from a night fishing trip to Jurmala.

35 years after the tragedy, Viktor Tsoi's popularity is still huge. More than four million people are interested in the musician's work every month on streaming platforms alone.

Viktor Tsoi Memorial Day in 2025 — events in Moscow

On the Memorial Day of the leader of the Kino group, the last concert of the group, recorded during the lifetime of Viktor Tsoi, will be shown on Channel One on Friday, August 15. The legendary performance took place at the Luzhniki Grand Sports Arena on June 24, 1990.

Memorable concerts will be held in the musician's hometown, St. Petersburg, as well as in Moscow, Volgograd and other Russian cities.

In addition, a mini-photo exhibition of black-and-white photographs taken by the musician, screenings of music videos and films with his participation, and quizzes on the work of Viktor Tsoi are planned. All proceeds will be used to help the wards of the capital's charitable foundations.

Memorial evenings will also be held at Viktor Tsoi's wall on Arbat and in many clubs in the capital. So, on Friday, August 16, a young musician from Yakutia, Peter Pogodaev, will perform on the stage of one of them, who became famous for performing songs by Viktor Tsoi in Kirill Serebrennikov's film "Summer", which was released in June 2018.

Viktor Tsoi Memorial Day in 2024 — events in St. Petersburg

Every year, memorial events are held in the city on the Neva River, where Viktor Tsoi was born and wrote his imperishable hits. Every year on August 15, fans gather at memorials and memorable places associated with the life and work of the rock legend. Among them are the Leningrad Rock Club at Rubinstein 13, the Art and Restoration College on Stoystosti Street (former Vocational school No. 61), as well as the grave of the musician at the Theological Cemetery.

The main concert venue traditionally remains the Kamchatka Boiler Room Museum club, a former boiler room where Tsoi worked as a stoker. His songs will be played here for almost the entire second half of August. And on August 15, there will be a separate concert in memory of Viktor Tsoi, where St. Petersburg bands will perform the main hits of the Kino group.

Commemorative events will also be held in many other cities of Russia. Pskov will host the annual Viktor Tsoi Memorial Festival, organized by the Pskov Rock Club in cooperation with the administration of the new city amusement park "Magic Mountain". The vinyl evening "Choi is alive" will be held in Khabarovsk. And in Sochi, there will be a concert and an hour in memory of Viktor Tsoi, "The Hero's Path," during which viewers will see excerpts from films featuring the Kino leader.

Viktor Tsoi Memorial Day 2025 — film screening on REN TV

A unique event for all fans on Viktor Tsoi Memorial Day will traditionally be held by the Ren-TV channel.

A big program is planned on the REN TV channel. During the night hours, the full version of the band's last concert in Luzhniki will also be shown here, as well as the films Assa, where Tsoi performed the iconic song "Changes", and Alexey Uchitel's film TSOI (2020).

Earlier, Izvestia reported that the Central Bank issued a commemorative coin with the image of Viktor Tsoi in a face value of three rubles, made of silver.