Moscow: Off the Arbat Street, one of the famous locations for shopping in Moscow, there is a short lane that is sacred for millions of people in Russia. The lane has a wall on which the fans of Soviet era rock ‘n’ roll legend Viktor Tsoi, who died aged 28 in a car crash in 1990, scribble a message to him. Although Tsoi has been dead for nearly a generation, the outpouring of love for him shows no sign of abating. As Russia is staging the Fifa World Cup, the wall is attracting a stream of football fans from around the world.
Arina Neyranovskay from St. Petersburg came to see the wall on Wednesday along with her friend Natalya Tishakova, who is from Siberia. “I’m a devotee of Tsoi. Hardly does a day pass off without my listening to him. He is our one-man Beatles. Tsoi is part of our lives. I can’t explain what he means to millions of Russians. No wonder he died young because he was loved by so many people,” she said.
Tsoi, born to a Korean father and a Russian mother in Leningrad (which is now St. Petersburg), led a penurious life. “He made a living by hauling charcoal in the boiler of his apartment early on. His lyrics were simple yet profound as they resonated with the youth all across the country because he captured the spirit of the times,” Arina said.
According to a Fifa World Cup volunteer, the civic authorities keep painting the wall only for a slew of messages and graffiti resurface in a matter of days. “His appeal is so enduring that no amount of paint can erase it,” she added.
Natalya said the cleaning up is more to do with complaints raised by residents near the wall than any ill-will. “Some of his fans stay near the wall the time, smoking, drinking and making noise. They also pester visitors for cigarettes. They are generally a nuisance, so the people who live here complain to the local authorities to clean up the wall from time to time. It is of no use, anyway,” she added.
Many of his fans still believe Tsoi is alive because his songs are timeless. “Most of the messages on the wall express their love and gratitude to him,” Natalya said.
Arina said many Russian cities have a wall dedicated to Tsoi. “They may not be as long and broad as the one off the Arbat Street. As he was born in St. Petersburg, a lot of his fans gather near the wall there every day. His songs are played regularly and there is also a museum dedicated to him nearby,” she added.
A film on Tsoi, the veritable golden boy of Soviet rock, received a standing ovation at Cannes earlier this year.
