Viktor Robertovich Tsoi was born on June 21, 1962 in Leningrad, into the family of an engineer and a physical education instructor. He got his first guitar as a present at the age of 12, and in 1976 while studying in an art school Viktor got acquainted with Maxim Pashkov, with whom they later found the band Palata N6 (Ward #6). In 1978, having finished eight years of compulsory school education, Viktor Tsoi entered the Serov Art School. One year later he was expelled for poor progress, and went to work at a factory at the same time studying in an evening school. In 1979 Tsoi entered the Saint Petersburg Technical School to major in woodcarving.

In autumn 1980 together with members of the rock band Avtomaticheskie udovletvoriteli he played in underground concerts in Moscow, and on March 21, 1981 he debuted on stage of the Tryum cafe as the bassist of the same band. Later there appeared the band Garin and Hyperboloids, which included Viktor Tsoi, Aleksei Rybin and Oleg Valinsky. In November the band entered the Leningrad Rock Club. After Valinsky left the band, it was renamed into Kino. Having finished technical school, Viktor Tsoi was placed on a job to restoration workshops in the Ykaterina's Palace Museum in Pushkin, but soon quit. Subsequently he worked in a landscape gardening trust, and then as a fireman in a boiler room in Zverinskaya Street (the famous “Kamchatka”).

In spring 1982 the band Kino debuted on the stage of the Rock Club (with the support of musicians of Aquarium and Zoopark bands), and then recorded an album in Andrey Tropillo's studio. The album was titled “45” according to the time of its playing. The producer of the album was Boris Grebenshchikov. Then the band, after a few performances in Moscow and Leningrad, unexpectedly broke up.

The band Kino with the new lineup reappeared on the rock stage in May, 1984, at the 2nd Festival of Leningrad Rock Club and became its winner. Its best song was “I declare my home a non-nuclear zone” by Viktor Tsoi. The same year the band released its new album Nachalnik Kamchatki. It was followed by the albums Eto ne lyubov (This is not love) (1985), and Noch (Night) (1986).

The tremendous success was the band’s album Gruppa Krovi (Blood Type) (1988). The popularity was also promoted by Sergei Solovyov’s film ASSA, featuring Viktor Tsoi and his song My zhdem peremen (We are waiting for changes). In 1989 Viktor Tsoi played one of the leads in Rashid Nugmanov’s film Igla (English title: The Needle). After the shootings Kino renewed its tour activity: the musicians visited the USA, Denmark, France, Italy, and Japan. The year 1989 saw the release of the album Zvezda po imeni Solntse (Star named the Sun) – it was the first and the last album recorded by Kino in a professional studio. In June 1990 the band gave a famous concert in Luzhniki (Moscow).

Viktor Tsoi’s life was cut short on a highway near Riga – early morning August 15, 1990 he died in a car accident … According to the most plausible official version, Tsoy fell asleep while driving.

Viktor Tsoi was laid to rest at the Bogoslovskoe Cemetery in Leningrad. Thousands of people came to Viktor's funeral.

Other band members completed the tape with record Tsoi’s last songs and released it under the title Chyorny Albom (Black Album). Songs by Viktor Tsoi have remained popular among elder generations and the youth till date.