About Kino
Kino (Russian: Кино, lit. 'cinema' or 'film', pronounced [kʲɪˈno]) is a Russian rock band formed in Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg) in 1981. The band was co-founded and headed by Viktor Tsoi, who wrote the music and lyrics for almost all of the band's songs, until his death in 1990. Over the course of eight years, Kino released over ninety songs spanning over seven studio albums, as well as releasing a few compilations and live albums. During the days of the Soviet Union, the band's music was also widely circulated in the form of bootleg recordings through the underground magnitizdat distribution scene. Viktor Tsoi died in a car accident in 1990. Shortly after his death, the band broke up after releasing their final album, consisting of songs that Tsoi and the group were working on in the months before his death.