Viktor Tsoi was a Soviet
underground rock musician who was propelled to national stardom during the
period of glasnost and perestroika (1986 to his death in 1990) and remains a
cult figure in Russia and the post-Soviet world. This paper explores how Tsoi
created the image of an underground rock hero both onstage and onscreen through
analysis of concert performances and contemporary films, as well as other visual
sources such as photographs and archival footage. It discusses how Tsoi performed a powerful image
which embodied youth culture, marginality, and the desire for change amidst the
radical social and cultural transformations brought about by glasnost. Yet his
participation in official culture during glasnost – for example appearing in
official Soviet films and performing in stadium concerts –- destabilises the
image of marginality he created. Moreover, Tsoi’s countercultural image,
paradoxically, came to represent the climate of tolerance and openness which
characterised Gorbachev’s reforms. This paper explores the contradictions
between Tsoi’s rise to public prominence during glasnost, and his creation of a
powerful underground image which has shaped his legacy to the present day.
