Abstract
Viktor Robertovich Tsoi (1962-1990), co-founder, frontman, and lyricist of the band KINO, is per-haps the most beloved figure to have emerged from the Leningrad underground rock music scene of the late Soviet period. Known for his masterful lyricism and creative use of abstract themes, Tsoi remains a cultural icon in Russian-speaking communities around the world. However, the ambiguity of his lyrics, as well as the complex political history of his song “Khochu peremen!” (I Want Changes), has led these communities to ascribe a variety of political persuasions to Tsoi’s artistry and image posthumously. This paper seeks to further explore Tsoi’s sociopolitical condi-tion by consulting the history of the Soviet rock scene, as well as ethnographic sources describing the youth counterculture movements Tsoi operated in. This is followed by a textual anaylsis of the album “Poslednii geroi” (The Last Hero), which demonstrates sociopolitical consciousness and criticism of the Soviet state and society as central thematic concepts. The discussion section observes Tsoi’s lyrics through French philosopher Jacques Rancière’s theory of aesthetic distance, which supports polysemic lyricism as an effective mode of self-expression and criticism under state censorship.
Recommended Citation
Meehan, Anna
(2025)
"The Last Hero: Analyzing KINO’s Rock Album as a Representation of Youth Sociopolitical Perspectives in the Late Soviet Period,"
The Crown: Syracuse Honors Research Journal: Vol. 2, Article 7.
Available at:
https://surface.syr.edu/thecrown/vol2/iss1/7