Kino Essentials

Kino is one of the most revered bands that emerged from St Petersburg (then Leningrad), a true hotbed of rock activity in the ‘80s. With broody guitars and poetic verses sung in a striking baritone by lead singer-songwriter Viktor Tsoi, the band explored the most accessible corners of post-punk, new wave and folk—striking a chord with a hopeful glasnost-era generation. Their 1988 LP Gruppa Krovi brought them widespread success, while Tsoi’s tragic death two years later gave rise to a Kinomania phenomenon that still holds strong today.