At the peak of his popularity, four years before his sudden passing, Viktor Tsoi, the lead singer of the band Kino (translating to 'film' from Russian), ventured into acting, appearing in three films released over three consecutive years. These films were directed by two Soviet movie directors: Rashid Nugmanov, from Kazakhstan, and Sergey Solovyov, from Russia. The three films, Viktor Tsoi himself, the band ‘Kino’, and both Nugmanov and Solovyov are, and always were considered cult cultural entities in the then Soviet and now post-Soviet sphere, in some cases also getting recognition worldwide for essentially solidifying the aesthetic of Soviet, as well as Central Asian new wave cinema. However, the key attribute of all three films: Yahha (Nugmanov, 1986), Assa (Solovyov, 1987), and The Needle (Nugmanov, 1988) was the appearance of Viktor Tsoi, the Soviet ‘idol’ who endeavoured to explore the realm of acting, – and, in retrospect, has achieved significant success in that. In this essay, I will be analysing the three films, namely their success and cultural influence, taking into great consideration the stardom of Viktor Tsoi in the context of mid-1980s USSR, as well the lasting influence the films have exerted on the contemporary post-Soviet sphere.

Yahha (Nugmanov, 1986) was the first film which was made for the (unofficial) trilogy of Viktor Tsoi films. Yahha, with a more phonetically precise translation from Russian being Yya-Khkha, is a short, experimental film which showcases the life of members of the Yya-Khkha underground rock-club in Leningrad (St. Petersburg today) – which is “considered the birthplace of Russian rock,” music (Kolesnik, 2023, p.1344). Whilst agreeing with the author on this statement, I would have to add that not only ‘Russian’ music was being cultivated there – this statement has hegemonic/colonial implications as many of the underground musicians, even in the band Kino were not of Russian heritage – so therefore, in my opinion, it is somewhat problematic to say that Leningrad/St Petersburg is the birthplace of solely ‘Russian’ rock music. To avoid overcomplication I will refer to the genre of music interchangeably – Soviet rock music and Russian rock music.

Nevertheless, the rock-club scene in Leningrad was, and is still deeply ingrained into the culture of the city – with this subculture being interlinked with lots of different cultural phenomena, such as taking inspiration from high cultures, all the while being seen as a marginal culture, as well as being closely connected to the history and the politics of the city (Kolesnik,2023). For example, the themes of loneliness, alienation and uncertainty are prominent in Yahha (Nugmanov, 1986), as well as the two other films, in the historical and political context of the Soviet government issuing rapid and radical changes into the system under the title of ‘perestroika’, causing many to lose their faith and trust in the Soviet system, especially innovative and forward-thinking individuals, most of whom were members of the underground rock-club scene, with the outlet of their frustrations being their music, and their other creative endeavours. With Kino covertly opposing the government in some of their song lyrics, and Nugmanov filming a short film about the daily life of the members of a subculture, both showcased the significant doubt that was a cause of concern for many Soviet citizens, in time just before the perestroika.  
Yahha (Nugmanov, 1986) was made by Nugmanov while he was a student at the VGIK (Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography) in Moscow, Russia, taught by Solovyov. The film starts off with the credits, and later there is a sequence of stills which explain the principles of the film, stating, in order – “without the help of a scenario,”, “without the help of literature or theatre,”, “to the viewers’ attention: this film is an experience of cine-transmission of the Invisible phenomena,” (Figure 1).

A Soviet documentary film, Man with a Movie Camera (Vertov, 1929) features an identical set of stills (Figure 2) (with a slight difference – saying “visible phenomena” instead of “invisible.”) This is featured by Nugmanov as a statement of adherence to and acceptance of Dziga Vertov’s universally praised manifesto titled ‘WE: Variant of a Manifesto” (Vertov, 1922), in which Vertov outlines his (or ‘our’, which is interesting in the context of a Communist society) new principles of cinema where he called for traditional, narrative storytelling to be rejected and replaced by a novel way of capturing natural, candid human life through the use of documentary techniques such as newsreel footage, montage and the absence of actors. The film Yahha (Nugmanov, 1986) contains parallels to Man with a Movie Camera (Vertov, 1929), with both films being shot in black and white, there being multiple storylines and different, distinct parts to the films, and both directors succeed in capturing the essence of the lives they were aiming to capture.

However, arguably, Yahha (Nugmanov, 1986) does not always read as a documentary film, with there being moments all throughout the film where it is being hinted that there will be an appearance of a performance by Kino, and particularly Viktor Tsoi, suggesting a very subtle narrative. This also suggests that an element of stardom and fandom has permeated the narrative-less film, where there is a sense of a notion that everyday life is dull, however, when the subjects of the documentary get to see Zoopark, Akvarium, or Kino perform, life will feel better. Nugmanov himself, in an interview, stated that the film is made as if it is a documentary (Nugmanov, 2023), however there is only one sequence which is actually a documentary – perhaps with the purpose of fooling audiences into thinking that the unattainable music/film star Viktor Tsoi is made attainable in this ‘documentary film’. This supports the argument that stardom is an ‘industry of desire’ (Gledhill, 1991), whereby Tsoi only has a few minutes of screen time but can be seen as the main focus of the film, with his name being mentioned in nearly every sequence. This idea and concept grow within the next two films.

Assa (Solovyov, 1987) is the second film starring Viktor Tsoi, which was released a year after Yahha (Nugmanov, 1986). Assa is noticeably different to the first film that audiences got to see the singer/actor perform in. Primarily, the film is significantly longer, being 2h33m long, and it is split into two parts, featuring two different storylines – one storyline depicting a love triangle between a very young woman named Alika, an influential mobster named Krymov, and a young musician named Bananan. The second storyline, which does not take up significant screen time is an 18th century assassination plot of Paul I of Russia, which is a visual representation of a book that Krymov is reading throughout the film. Viktor Tsoi emerges after the completion of both narratives, interlinked with the former storyline, he debuts one of Kino’s most popular songs, titled – “I want changes”, which falls in line with the Glasnost reform introduced during the Perestroika, granting freedom of speech to all citizens of the USSR. Tsoi uses this song to express the discontent with the government at the time, asking them for ‘changes’, while keeping the lyrics abstract and cryptic, consistent with the style of all other Kino songs. Assa is universally accepted as a Soviet classic cult film, which showed the reality and the consequences of gang/mob violence in the Soviet Union candidly, as well as being a visually pleasant film to watch – being set during the winter season in Crimea.

As well as in Yahha, themes of loneliness and detachment are prominent throughout Assa, however portrayed in more covert ways through the characters, the different filming locations and the seemingly ‘unrelated’ plotlines – “it is an attempt to capture within the frame the style not of the present, but of all those pasts that are being rewritten – imperial history, the recent (Soviet) past, social norms and individuals’ values,” (Beumers & Zvonkine, 2018, p.62). This is where the film resonated with its audiences – mainly ordinary citizens who are also feeling the changes in all aspects of their contemporary society.

The two main characters – Krymov and Bananan have multiple dream sequences in the film. As mentioned above, Krymov dreams of the book that he is reading at the moment and Bananan dreams of his own artistic world, which he also brings into his own life, with a still (Figure 3) showing the artistic decorations in his apartment featuring spray painted plastic curtains, a plethora of random objects in shelves so the apartment itself gains a dream-like quality through such interior staging. Whereas the contrasting life of Krymov, who represents an older generation is very strict and organised, his dreams and living space representing the ideas and aesthetics of a ‘true Soviet citizen’. This disconnect between the two main characters who are both the love interests of Alika are interesting, as, personally, to me this represents the uncertainty of the Soviet youth at the time – should they be living in the world of older generations (Krymov) or submerge themselves into the new, vague but hopeful world of the artistic Bananan, who represents the alternative, underground scene of the USSR.

Viktor Tsoi’s appearance in the movie follows in the same footsteps, “he has no apparent link to reality but is detached, first physically … and then artistically,” (Beumers & Zvonkie, 2018, p.60). The physical detachment comes from the scene where Tsoi is questioned by a restaurant manager where he is applying for a job to sing – and he tells her that he doesn’t have an address (because he is a poet), and he leaves the room as the manager explains the rules of the venue. The artistic detachment is shown in the subsequent scene, where Tsoi debuts the hit-song “I want changes” first, he is seen in the small restaurant venue, but later the camera pans out to show a huge crowd of people in an arena, nearly all of whom are holding lights. The song is a beacon of hope for all the people standing and singing along in the arena, demanding changes from the government and the system, however the changes which are being demanded are never specified, and the atmosphere of the shot is very dream-like - filled with the detachment which follows Tsoi throughout his 7-minute appearance in the film. It appears to me that this is linked strongly to notions of escapism through the song – “I want changes,”, and identification with the star – Viktor Tsoi. Tsoi is leading a ‘revolution’ and the crowd is following him into “a world where happiness is possible only through escapism into a dream world,” (Beumers & Zvonkie, 2018, p.63), after which the film ends.

The Needle (Nugmanov, 1988) is the final film which I will be analysing, wherein Viktor Tsoi assumes the role of the principal character, satiating audiences with a much longer appearance on screen in comparison to Yahha and Assa. The film takes place in the late 1980s in Alma-Ata, the former capital city of Kazakhstan and Nugmanov’s hometown. It is a highly culturally significant film which is dubbed as the original example of Kazakh New Wave cinema. In addition, The Needle has popularized Kazakhstan as a cultural hotspot, a region that was typically marginalized on the periphery of the Soviet Union. The film follows the story of Moro (Viktor Tsoi) who returns to his hometown of Alma-Ata from Moscow, to collect a debt from an acquaintance. He also decides to pay a visit to Dina, his former girlfriend, who has developed a serious drug problem, which was being sustained by an ominous doctor, as well as a whole mob of criminals who try to get as many people as possible to get hooked on ‘the needle’ (injectable drugs). It is a hopeless story which portrays the reality of drug addiction which was heightened by the Soviet Afghan War (1979-1989), the reality of mob violence and, like the aforementioned films, it is imbued with the senses of loneliness, alienation, and isolation. The general atmosphere of the film is casual – depicting the middle/working classes of 1980s Kazakhstan, perhaps demonstrating that the drug epidemic could affect anyone.

Stylistically, the film is similar to Nugmanov’s first work Yahha (1986), as well as Solovyov’s Assa (1987), however the plot of The Needle is perhaps, arguably, the most straight-forward out of all three movies starring Tsoi. Similar to Assa, Nugmanov makes use of the Glasnost reforms in order to show and ‘expose’ the drug problems and violence underway in Soviet perestroika-era Kazakhstan, with the ‘monosyllabic, dressed in black and inevitably tragic,’ (Karpovich, 2011, p.167) Tsoi portraying the lonely hero of the movie, who single-handedly tries to solve all the different problems that he, and his ex-girlfriend face in the movie.

His costumes and appearance stay consistent with his real-life persona and are in line with what other rock bands and subcultures were wearing at the time. Sedakova (2019) writes that the style (both in real life and in The Needle) of Viktor Tsoi was functional, unique, and most importantly nonchalant – mixing different items together in a haphazard manner. For example, Figure 4 is a still from the final sequence of the film, where Moro, before getting stabbed, lights a cigarette surrounded by snow, with the song ‘Gruppa Krovi’ (translating to – blood type) by Kino playing in the background. He is wearing a jacket which he wears often throughout the movie as well as in real life - a black bomber jacket fitted with multiple pockets which often contain items such as cigarettes. As well as serving a functional purpose, this jacket has become a trademark of Viktor Tsoi’s real-life style, as well as Moro’s style in the film, with fans subsequently emulating the ‘Viktor Tsoi Look’.

This ending scene has proved to be extremely culturally impactful to The Needle’s millions of viewers. Tsoi had passed away in a car accident in 1990, very shortly after the release of the film. Given that the ending sequence of the film is vague – while Moro does get stabbed by, presumably, a drug dealer, he seems unfazed by it, continuing smoking his cigarette and walking off into the snowy backdrop – with blood dripping onto the snow, contrasting with the monotonous colours of the scene (Figure 5). Since there was already such a strong sense of identification in Tsoi’s enthusiasts with the character, and Tsoi himself, after his death, a significantly large number of fans decided not to accept the fact, and thereafter started a movement called ‘Tsoi Zhiv’ – translating to ‘Tsoi is alive’ (Kaligin, 2015).

Since he was such an admired figure in the 1980s, having charisma and a way to appeal to younger audiences – the ‘Tsoi Zhiv’ movement is evidence for just how impactful Tsoi’s ‘stardom’ was. In that, in the culmination of everything – political, economic, and social, fans chose to hold onto the memory of Viktor Tsoi – the leader of a cultural movement – is very powerful. So much so that a statue of Moro/Viktor Tsoi has been placed on Tolebayev Street in Almaty (formerly Alma-Ata), where the ending scene of the Needle had been filmed. ‘Gruppa Krovi’ is the song that is playing in the scene, with the namesake album being released in 1988 by Kino. Gruppa Krovi as well as The Needle have both been very culturally significant at the time as well as today, with Gruppa Krovi being one of the most popular Soviet rock albums to have ever been produced, and with The Needle granting Nugmanov the title of the founder of Kazakh New Wave cinema.

As Kaligin (2015, p.5) recounts, ‘“KINO”. For twenty-five years now, this word has been found in elevators, on the walls of houses and entrances… The number of inscriptions varies year to year, but they have never completely disappeared. Four clumsily written letters have become a symbol of grief, crying for “KINO”.’ The scale of Viktor Tsoi’s ‘stardom’ during his life and after his death is overarching, with the popularity, and success of all three films (Yahha, Assa, The Needle) being inextricably linked to said popularity and ‘stardom’ of both Tsoi and Kino. We see the appearance of Viktor Tsoi in the films evolve from two short performances (in Yahha and Assa), to him acting as the main character in The Needle. While his popularity is mainly attributed to his music, the films have arguably added a layer of depth to the fandom and idolship.

While Tsoi’s ‘stardom’ was not played out in the traditional, Hollywood sense of the word, debatably, the term ‘stardom’ in this context could be used interchangeably with the notion of the cultural influence and legacy that the films and he, himself, have left on the Soviet and post-Soviet crowd. Another way in which Tsoi strays away from stereotypes of stardom is that his was never in the first place gained from the film industry, or anything that was seen as ‘mainstream’ in Soviet society. With his beginnings being rooted in the underground and the marginal rock scene of Leningrad (Vasilieva-Hall, 2022), and his music as well as the films in which he has appeared acting as a symbol of hope, and freedom in spheres of life such as in the arts, and politics. While stardom can be perceived as an ‘industry of desire’, Tsoi’s stardom proves to be multifaceted in this case, considering all the different factors at play such as – the three films and their success, his musical career, the USSR’s social and political history, mainly Perestroika and lastly, the persona of Viktor Tsoi.



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Filmography:
Асса [Assa]. (1987). MosFilm
Игла [The Needle]. (1988). Kazakhfilm.
Йя-Хха [Yahha]. (1986).