Maryana Rodovanskaya
They met when Tsoi was 19 and she was 23. Maryana Rodovanskaya (nee Kovaleva) came to an apartment party organized by a mutual friend. By chance, this day was her birthday. Alcohol flowed like a river, the guests were pretty drunk.
In the midst of the fun, which left my ears ringing, Victor entered the room, introducing himself to the stranger: “My name is Vitya, but I can call you Vityusha!” The guest did not immediately like the young musician.
Deciding to be insolent, the girl took lipstick and wrote her phone number right on the dumbfounded Victor’s cheek. But some time later, after watching the guy a little, she discovered that her first impression was wrong; Victor turned out to be a wonderful person.
Victor and Maryana met on the girl’s birthday
The acquaintance continued: Victor began to often call Maryana, the girl called him back. Soon the relationship grew into a tender friendship with a touch of romance: walks, flowers, walking holding hands. At some point, Maryana began to experience a feeling for Victor that was similar to falling in love; she began to like the talented guy more and more.
The young man's reciprocity left doubts. It turns out that at that time his heart was already occupied by another girl named Natalya, the wife of Mike Naumenko, the leader of the Zoo group. He knew her even before he met Maryana.
Natalya was also not indifferent to Tsoi, but she did not dare to leave the family; besides, she and her husband were raising a one-year-old son. The feelings had to be suppressed, which Victor was very worried about. Maryana managed to provide moral support to the disheartened musician, and subsequently became an indispensable friend for him.
In February 1984, the couple got married; the wedding was modest; instead of a wedding dress, the bride came in a light jacket and skirt: “We were poor, like church rats,” she recalled in an interview. The newlyweds had to live in a communal apartment and ate sparingly.
Family photo of Viktor Tsoi with his first wife
Soon, Viktor Tsoi’s wife left her job at the circus and became the producer of the Kino group. Thanks to her skillful leadership, the group quickly became popular and generated income. Later, Maryana admitted that she was sorry for the time spent on rock music; it interfered with her self-development.
Movies
Viktor Tsoi’s film debut as a film actor was his participation in the thesis work of the young Kyiv director Alexei Uchitel, a kind of musical film almanac “The End of Vacation.” Filming took place on Lake Telbin in Kyiv. Participation in this film marked a new stage in Tsoi’s work.
Viktor Tsoi in the film "Needle"
The popularity of the Kino group led to the fact that Viktor Tsoi began to be invited to participate in the filming of films of the “new formation”. The filmography of Tsoi the film actor included fourteen films, among which it is necessary to note the important films of that time, which fully reflect the essence of the “era of change.”
Viktor Tsoi in the film "Assa"
This is the famous “Assa” by film director Vladimir Solovyov, a film filled with the tart feeling of the “beginning of the end”, characteristic of the years of perestroika. This is the dramatic thriller “Needle”, in which the leader of the “Kino” group played the main role. Tsoi Moro's hero decides to fight the drug mafia, but everything turns out to be not so simple. His antipode, drug dealer Arthur, was played by Pyotr Mamonov. The film became the box office leader in 1989, and Viktor Tsoi received the title of “Best Actor of the Year” according to the results of a survey among readers of the Soviet Screen.
The birth of Sasha and Tsoi’s new love
A year later, on August 5, a son, Alexander, was born into the family. Two years later, everything changed dramatically. Victor went to shoot the cult film “Assy”, where he was offered the role of himself, and when he returned, he announced that he had fallen in love with another woman and was leaving the family.
Note: The second assistant director, whom the musician met on the set, was named Natalya Razlogova, for her sake Tsoi moved to Moscow. Even the birth of a child did not stop him.
Although the ex-husband and wife stopped living together, they decided not to file a divorce for the sake of their son Sasha. Victor remained Maryana's official husband until his death. In 1989, Maryana and Natalya met at a banquet organized by Victor on the occasion of the girls’ acquaintance.
The second passion was the complete opposite of the first, and Maryana could not understand what her ex-husband found in Natalya, calm as a rock, while she considered herself a “powder keg.” The woman was in great pain and could hardly find the strength to maintain her composure, looking at her rival who had destroyed their family happiness.
Viktor Tsoi with his son Sasha
Universal adoration and letters from fans
Fans of musician Viktor Tsoi celebrate his birthday near Tsoi's Wall on Old Arbat.
Photo: KP/Mikhail Frolov Modern pop stars and “sex symbols” cannot even imagine the scale of nationwide love in which Viktor Tsoi literally bathed. There was no Internet, no social networks, no mobile phones back then. But there were carefully copied cassettes, folded posters with the image of an idol hanging in every girl’s bedroom, and paper letters washed with tears that were written to him from all over the vast country.
At the same time, Tsoi never allowed himself to take advantage of this love. No touring orgies - unlike many domestic and Western rock idols. Always as restrained as possible, taciturn, correct, he went on stage, raised his chin and sang: “My serial number is on my sleeve...”. And the audience, as one person, echoed him: “Wish me good luck in battle!” And then he left the stage - but filled the souls of his listeners with his songs.
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American rapper Tyga starred in a video wearing a T-shirt with the image of Viktor Tsoi. In the USA, this designer clothing costs about $500.
After Tsoi’s death, a recording of his performance in a Moscow concert hall circulated around for a long time. 1988 or 1989. At the height of the concert, police officers appear in the hall and turn off the sound equipment for no reason. Back then it was common practice to “fight against alien phenomena.” Choi remains completely calm and unperturbed. He does not throw tantrums, does not get into fights and is not rude to law enforcement officers. It’s as if they don’t exist for him – the musician just continues to sing. No microphone. And his listeners freeze, listening to every word: they feel this power that distinguishes every song, every line of his poetry.
Maryana's life without Victor
By the age of 40, Maryana’s dream of additional education had come true; she graduated from the Faculty of Oriental Studies at the University of St. Petersburg, became a translator from Japanese, and, in addition, was fluent in English.
The woman wrote two books about Viktor Tsoi: “Starting Point” and “Viktor Tsoi. Poems, documents, memories", published together with playwright Alexander Zhitinsky in 1997. Maryana was also offered to become the director of a film about a rock star, but she refused, explaining the refusal by her lack of directing experience.
In support of the memory of her ex-husband, the widow organized concerts. Surprisingly, the lion's share of the audience in the hall consisted of teenagers. The beginning of the 2000s was marked by the release of the “Kinoproba” records, published with the participation of Marianna, on which Tsoi’s songs were performed by popular rock musicians.
Maryana is depicted in two documentaries: “The Last Hero”, 1992 and “The Last Hero 20 Years Later”, released in 2009 after her death. The woman’s third, common-law husband was Alexander Aksenov (“Ricochet”), best known as the leader of the “Object of Ridicule” group, which she produced as the “Kino” group at one time.
Acquaintance
Among other old acquaintances, the girl noticed a man whom she had never met before. He was 19-year-old Viktor Tsoi. Later, Maryana recalls that she immediately noticed his unusual appearance. That's why, when leaving the party, she left him her phone number, written in lipstick on a piece of paper.
Vitya called the next day, and the young people began an affair. A week later, he invited Maryana to a general get-together, where he was going to perform a mini-concert. The girl didn’t really like the work of young rock musicians and was scared. She never stopped thinking that Tsoi’s songs would disappoint her. However, after Victor performed several songs of his own composition, she became even more interested in the young performer.
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Illness and death
In the late 90s, Maryana felt unwell. After undergoing an examination, the woman received a disappointing diagnosis: she was diagnosed with breast cancer. The patient was operated on and subjected to a course of aggressive chemotherapy and radiation.
Alexander Tsoi with his mother
The disease seemed to have subsided for a while. However, over time it acquired a new form, affecting the brain. The doctors were no longer able to help, offering only hospitalization and relief of suffering with painkillers.
Maryana spent the rest of her life at home in St. Petersburg, refusing hospitalization, with her son and common-law husband providing her care. Instead of the month allotted by doctors, the woman lived for three and a half, falling into a coma two days before her death.
Death occurred on June 27, 2005. She was buried not far from Victor’s grave, at the Bogoslovskoye cemetery. The Leningrad Rock Club helped organize the funeral. Musicians from Kino, Aquarium and Yuri Shevchuk came to say goodbye to their former colleague.
Music
At the end of 1981, Viktor Tsoi, together with Alexei Rybin and Oleg Valinsky, created a rock group called “Garin and the Hyperboloids,” but a few months later they renamed the group “Kino” and with this composition joined the famous Leningrad rock club. The newly formed team, with the assistance of Boris Grebenshchikov and the musicians of his group “Aquarium”, is recording the first album “45”. The album's name comes from the length of his recordings.
Viktor Tsoi and Mike Naumenko
The new creation became popular in Leningrad apartment buildings. In a relaxed atmosphere, the audience interacted closely with the performers. Even then, Viktor Tsoi clearly spoke about his life principles, from which he did not intend to deviate.
Viktor Tsoi - “Eighth Grade Girl”
The group recorded their next album, called “The Chief of Kamchatka” in honor of the name of the boiler house where Victor worked as a fireman, in 1984 with a new line-up: now, instead of Rybin and Valinsky, the band included guitarist Yuri Kasparyan, bassist Alexander Titov, and sat behind the drum kit Gustav (Georgy Guryanov). In the same year, the Kino group was a laureate at the second Leningrad Rock Festival, becoming a true sensation for listeners.
Viktor Tsoi - “War”
The next year of the festival, the Kino group repeated its resounding success, and the musicians decided to record the album “Night”, which was intended to become a new word in the genre of rock music, fully in line with the latest trends in Western rock performers. Work on “Night” was delayed, and instead of it “Kino” recorded a magnetic album called “This is not love.”
In November 1985, another replacement took place in the Kino group: Alexander Titov was replaced as bassist by Igor Tikhomirov. This team composition did not change until the very end of its existence.
Viktor Tsoi and the Kino group
1986 was the year of peak popularity for Kino. Its secret was a combination of fresh musical discoveries, unique for that time, with simple and life-like texts by Viktor Robertovich. In addition, the songs of “Kino” were easy to perform with a guitar, the group owes this to the thousands of “film fans” singing Tsoi’s compositions in every yard.
In 1986, the group presented the audience with the completed album “Night” and gave a landmark concert at the joint Moscow festival of the St. Petersburg rock club and the Moscow rock laboratory. The group's albums became increasingly popular, and the group's new videos were watched by millions of viewers throughout the Soviet Union.
Viktor Tsoi - “Blood Type”
After the release of the album “Blood Type” (presented in 1988), “film mania” spread beyond the USSR. The group gave concerts in France, Denmark and Italy, and photos of the group increasingly appeared on the covers of popular music magazines. A year later, Kino releases its first professional studio album entitled “A Star Called the Sun,” and the musicians immediately begin work on the next record.
Viktor Tsoi - “A Star Called the Sun”
The best songs from the album “A Star Called the Sun” made Viktor Tsoi and the Kino group immortal, and the composition “A Pack of Cigarettes” became a hit for each subsequent young generation of the states of the former USSR.
In 1989, concerts of the Kino group were held in France and the USA.
In June 1990, the last concert of Viktor Tsoi and his band took place at the Luzhniki Olympic Complex in Moscow.
“Kino” is the latest album in the band’s discography. The songs “Cuckoo” and “Watch Yourself” became the most popular compositions, which were later repeatedly performed by other musicians and groups.
Tsoi's songs changed the minds of many Soviet people. First of all, the musician’s name is associated with change and change. This desire is represented by the song “I Want Change!” (in the original - “Change!”), which was first performed at the IV festival of the Leningrad Rock Club in the Nevsky Palace of Culture on May 31, 1986.
Viktor Tsoi - “Change!”
At first glance, it may seem that Tsoi was a supporter of radical decisions, but in fact he perceived life somewhat differently.
Tsoi about music:
“Music should embrace: it should make you laugh when necessary, entertain when necessary, and make you think when necessary. The music should not just call for people to go smash the Winter Palace. They must listen to her."
Viktor Tsoi
Once in an interview with the media, he admitted that he considers himself an opponent of reincarnation, and remaining himself is the main thing for him. It is quite possible that the musician was thinking about a professional acting career, and was not commenting on his attitude to the political trends of the time.
Tsoi said about his vision of changes in Soviet society:
“By change I meant the liberation of consciousness from all sorts of dogmas, from the stereotype of a small, worthless, indifferent person, constantly looking “up.” I was waiting for changes in consciousness, and not for specific laws, decrees, appeals, plenums, congresses.”
What is known about son Alexander
Alexander is the only heir of the legendary rock musician. His childhood was not as rosy as that of the children of star parents, growing up in an atmosphere of material prosperity, but this did not stop the boy from studying well, showing particular success in languages and drawing.
Thanks to his mother's support, Sasha was able to decide on a profession, becoming a web designer. Now the man lives in Moscow, married to Elena Osokina since 2010, but prefers not to talk about his family, leading a secluded lifestyle and avoiding the media.
Note: It is known that he owns his own club, also writes poetry and music - apparently, his hereditary creative streak is affecting him.
Natalia Razlogova
Tsoi's future common-law wife was born in the Bulgarian capital, Sofia, in 1956. Her father Emil Razlogov was a diplomat. With the help of her father, the girl received an excellent education, which set her apart from her peers.
Victor left his first wife for Natalya; not even their common child could stop him
Natalya spent her childhood in Paris, then the family moved to Moscow, where the daughter of a Bulgarian diplomat went to a prestigious school, acquiring excellent knowledge of the French language and high erudition. Her abilities in foreign languages helped her decide on a profession: Razlogova entered the Faculty of Philology of Moscow State University.
After graduating from university in 1979, the girl became a simultaneous translator. Thanks to her creative work, Natalya quickly entered bohemian Moscow life, met famous actors, artists, and journalists, who accepted a witty, bright and energetic person into their circle.
In 1987, Natalya met Viktor Tsoi on the set of Assy. The meeting turned out to be fatal: the 31-year-old lady was 6 years older than Tsoi, but the age difference did not prevent her from starting a whirlwind romance.
For the sake of a burning brunette, Victor in love left his former wife and moved to the capital. Marianne did not start scandals and, despite all the bitterness and pain, let her husband go. The relationship between the singer and his new passion has been discussed more than once in the musical community.
Many did not understand how Tsoi managed to conquer the beauty, who was the object of the unsuccessful courtship of eminent directors. On top of that, he was married, had two-year-old Sasha, and she had a son, Zhenya, seven years old.
Only the official wife Maryana realized the seriousness of everything that was happening. This is even mentioned in her book “Starting Point”: “Vitya spent the last period of his life with another woman. Her name is Natasha. It lasted three years and was very serious. There was no talk of our divorce, because Sasha existed. We have already outgrown these marriages and divorces...”
3 years together
The life together of Tsoi and his new wife was short-lived, but happy. According to the observations of friends and acquaintances, the calm and reasonable Natalya managed to curb the wild character of her common-law husband: the changes concerned not only appearance, but also behavior, the former “hungry and angry” musician became “impressive and mysterious.”
Tsoi and Razlogova were together for only 3 years
The lovers spent the summer in the cozy resort village of Plienciems, located on the coast of the Gulf of Riga. They lived in a rented country house, along with two children from previous marriages. The holiday was calm and measured: hiking in the forest for mushrooms and berries, fishing, badminton.
Together with their children, parents built sand castles, rode a moped, skateboarded, and Victor practiced karate techniques. Show business stars never threw noisy parties or get-togethers, preferring to enjoy nature and communicate with each other.
In the quiet Latvian wilderness, local residents were not interested in Russian rock music, and this was an undeniable advantage: no one knew the couple and did not pester them with questions. However, some fans managed to penetrate into this island of calm, and Victor had to pay attention to them, he did not push anyone away.
In 1990, terrible news hit his head: upon returning from fishing in his new Moskvich-2141, Tsoi was involved in a fatal accident, crashing at high speed at a turn into the Ikarus. The hospitable Latvian village became the site of the tragic death of the singer.
Note: The death of a beloved man brought the women together: Maryana and Natalya stood side by side near the coffin.
Natalya Razlogova now
A year later, Natalya married the famous Moscow journalist and TV presenter Evgeny Dodolev, marrying him in 1991, on one of the autumn days. The woman moved to America, spending a long period of her life there, and Evgeniy remained in Moscow, building a career in television.
The marriage produced two sons. After some time, Razlogova decided to return to the Russian capital. Now the journalist works in the media sphere, collaborating with one of the central television channels.
