15 August 1990, there was Viktor Tsoi. About his death in a car accident says a lot. But the most complete and truthful, I think, was two articles written by Oleg Belikova made on the basis of a travel journalist on the scene in November 1990. One was published in the newspaper “Live sound”, second in Rolling Stone magazine.
These articles
Rolling Stone “Kina will not be”
The idea to go to the place of death of Viktor Tsoy was not me. One of the capital’s acquaintances, named Sveta told me: “We are going in November to give up hitchhiking in Tukums, at the place where Choi crashed. Coming with us?”. This idea is so firmly lodged in my head that I collected all available cash — about 300 rubles, I bought 2 cartons of cigarettes “Opal” and stomped to the editor of the local newspaper “Banner of October”. About Galina Ivanovna, editor-in-chief, the offer to send me on a mission to “investigate the causes of the death of Viktor Tsoi”, I actually absolutely could not imagine how I would conduct this investigation. And so I asked him to give me some official document. Credentials.
“The paper we’ll, of course, give, but no money!”, — said Galina. “I will go!”, “I said, and we began to think on what a “village of my grandfather” to address it. The most intelligent thought the decision to choose as the recipient of the Prosecutor of the Tukums district (once there is a district, then there must be a Prosecutor, and he’s always in charge of the police). The paper said that the correspondent so-and-so “is sent to collect the material about the last days of the life of Victor Tsoi. Please give him every assistance.”
Stuffed in a bag camera, flash, a dozen films and canned food, I soon stood in front of the Svetka and her two friends also decided to see the place.” Leaving the subway, we walked to the track. “Riga”. I have very little faith that the driver-the trucker for some leshim put a Horde to my cabin and rolled it “for so” all the way to Riga. Therefore, resolutely leaving the girls in fifteen metres from a police post, took out his “Charter” and the editorial license, I went to the post. The policeman carefully scanned the papers and saw the ominous word “Prosecutor”, said: “Well, wait a little have, yet need the car caught. And these, too with you?”, — he nodded in the direction of the girls. “Yes, quite a correspondent!”, I answered as carefree.
“Need a car” was the fourth time. “It is, take correspondents in Riga”, — said the policeman to the driver. “These?”, — the driver suspiciously glanced at us. “Yeah, the documents are in order, I checked”. “Well, let them sit”, — he replied resignedly. In the cabin we immediately retrieved from her bag a tape recorder “electronics-302” and is included Choi. Somewhere halfway the driver drops us and goes to sleep on some, familiar only to him, the truck stop. We bodrati stagger right on the highway. To top it all off is not quite appropriate snow. Cold. Rare cars do not stop or “go wrong.”
Only with the sunrise we are able to fit into the new “UAZ”, which takes us to the forest. Leave the girls at the train station and go in search of the Prosecutor’s office. The Prosecutor Janis Salons, a man with kind eyes, carefully examining my papers. They clearly likes. He takes a big, thick book, similar to granary, and starts flipping. This book recorded the accident. The entry is one line: car make, the license number, owner’s full name. The desired entry is located, when the back paulistano of ten sheets of paper covered in writing. It seems that accidents happen here almost every hour.
I see the car is registered to Mariana. The case was led by investigator: Eric Ashman. The Prosecutor takes the phone, turns the disk. “Eric:? Now you will approach a journalist from Moscow, tell him, please, with the case number 480”. I ask: “did You work today, after a holiday — on November 7?”. “Well, that’s you there, in Moscow, the festival, and we have there is no holiday. We are your
Soviet holidays do not recognize”. Eric: I first met “in bayonets”. A call from prosecutors on her, apparently, didn’t work.
“I do not have the right to show you the materials from this case, it is not closed yet, and, besides, your colleagues have already been written in the Newspapers what was not, and then I fell for that I was showing them the materials. No, nobody’s come, you’re the first one only made a phone call from “MK”, I read to him some extracts, and it is then all mixed up. Wrote that Choi was not drunk according to the results of the examination of active brain cells”, and we have such expertise do not, we have a small town, it can only be in Riga this examination do and I don’t know. Only did a blood test for alcohol, he wasn’t there, that’s all. Why not lucky to Riga? So no one will know, just said that a young man crashed. Here I will give you to get acquainted with the materials of the case, and then you ponapishut, and I will fall again!”.
I feel that now I will say goodbye, and eagerly begin to explain, that’s why I’m here to learn everything first hand and to prevent any “inaccuracies”. And in journalism there are different people, as, in General, and in other professions. “And you too, probably, is!”. The last argument is valid, and case No. 480 lies before me on the table. Leaf, leaf, leaf. Eric:: “This? It’s about excitation of criminal case against Tsoi Viktor Robertovich. Like what? As the perpetrator of the accident. But the ruling on termination of case for death of the accused. Well, Yes, if not killed, it would be a trial, what do you think, this is for you he is a singer, and for us just the offender. Well, no, not planted, probably, but would have been fined for sure. What do you want, the manufacturer damage — Ikarus only repair was, and again a month or two is up, and it’s money! He did not go, passengers are not carried, the company losses a few thousand, probably!”
Begin to write all the fun. After a few minutes realize that multi-page that can take me a couple of days of life. Asking permission to copy some of the pages. “What are you, I’m not the most important thing was to show”. Then surrenders: “okay, just don’t tell anyone, but the case is still closed.” Quickly take out the camera and start to shoot one page after the other. “The driver of the Muscovite – 2141 dark blue (license plate Я6832МН) Choi Victor R. on the 35th kilometer of the highway Sloka-Talsi has not coped with management and moved down to the side of the highway, driving it 250 metres. Then his car hit the partition column of a bridge across the river Matope. From blow the Moskvich was thrown into the oncoming lane on which the moving bus Ikarus-250 (0518ВРН license plate, the driver Janis Karlovich Fibex), the motor transportation enterprise № 29, Tukums. The time of impact, 11 hours, 28 minutes. Weather: +28. Visibility — clear”.
Eric: explains to me how to find the landlady Biratu Luga, which has rented a room Choi: “are You driving? Record: village of Plienciems, Zeltini. And there is no numbering of houses, just tell the taxi driver “the House of Zeltini”, it will find. Or you will show local, ask, everything know. Saying goodbye, taking pictures of the mistress of the Cabinet. “Yes me why not!”, suddenly embarrassed she is.
The girls are waiting at the railway station, near which are a few of them. Get acquainted with the driver. Janis. Name? Why? Ah, journalists. From Moscow?! About tsoe material?! Melderis is my last name. The scene of the accident know where. And took your already — fans of these. You travel a lot? Where?”. The girls immediately include the tape with Choi. The driver doesn’t mind and even allowed to smoke in the cabin. The car rushes in the direction of the village Princes. 20 minutes later we reached the village. Janis, leaning out of the window, asks in Latvian from the passerby about the “Selini”.
He waved his hand in the direction of movement of the machine, explaining about the trim of yellow Sandstone. Hence the name. Approaching. The sun house is really streaked with gold. At the gate of the Inbox labeled “Zeltini”. Enter the courtyard. The door to the house closed. Walk around. There is another door. Is also closed. Interested me the neighbors explain that Berate – at work, at the fish processing factory. Sit, going. On the edge of the village a long one-storey building. In front of him — gate with open doors, in which we call. Enter and go look for the chief. Finding, explain that you need his employee Berate Luga, what are we actually from Moscow and cornered.
He nods sympathetically and escort me to the workshop directly to the workplace Berate. She touches fresh fish. “That’s journalists for you came from Moscow. You can go home,” says the chief. She quickly and somehow shamefully wipes his hands, takes off the apron and we go outside. In the car Birate to sit flatly refuses, saying that will come true. We are waiting for her at the gate. The house has several rooms. We sit in the living room. The hostess does not speak in Russian, and helps us Janis the taxi driver, volunteered to be a translator.
“Victor, I learned through his friend Natalia. She here for ten years, every summer arrives, still with her first husband. And the last three years with Victor. Sometimes they Vitinho son took Sasha. Usually three months come from June to September. As resting? Well, woods went for mushrooms, the whole family. Badminton is played. On a skateboard riding. Fishing he still often went, Sasha often took. No, not many fish were brought in, he is not a fisherman was. Said, pleasure catches. And that in a noisy Moscow not so well rested, every time repeated. The sea is very loved, there it is – the house behind the pine trees – already the beach. Often with Natalia went there, bathed. Ate what? Nothing special that was. Yes, the tomatoes are very loved!”
“Yes, I with it did not communicate. Only when he asked where to take you. Good wine is always a gift brought. And he hardly drank for the whole evening, maybe just a drink or two, and then, according to the mood. The day before, he is to blame not touched. And at the table sat up something, speak, and lay too late. In the morning, five o’clock, he was going fishing, I wanted Sasha to bring, but the get tired, he was sorry to Wake him. One left… Moskvich your loved a he loved, he did it only three months ago I bought”. Asked about what music he was listening to lately. “I don’t know. I do not understand it, turned something on the VCR in his room. Sometimes the guitar is something strummed, hummed. No, pictures I have none. You? I donate? Thank you. Is he a famous musician?”
How it happened…
Say goodbye to Borotou and go to the scene of the accident. “It’s the farmhouse Autoprice, there’s only one house is,” — says Janis. “Fifteen minutes from here, if the machine”. Go. Finally, the highway turns sharply to the left. Right after the turn – bridge over the river Taitapu. The bridge is already hanging homemade signs and posters of Choi all sorts of ribbons and baubles”. In the centre of the enclosure, is worth three-liter jar with flowers. Around the plants, right on the pavement. Thrifty Sveta retrieves a bottle of wine. I open her and we take turns doing the throat. Asking Janis to honk the horn. He nods knowingly and repeatedly long pressing on the horn.
Have Natasha and Zhenya start suspiciously shiny eyes. Finishing up the bottle and I return to a lonely home. My voice comes out hostess. Is Antonina Ivanovna Urbana. She says: “I was driving behind this Ikarus, also on the bus. For me the driver agreed to drive up to the house. He was ahead of us. He went blank, only repaired. Only for a few seconds after the turn, and disappeared. Approaching, and there is all — Ikarus front wheels in the river is, and the car is all crooked, middle of the road. The driver of the Icarus did not even have time from behind the wheel to get out — was in shock. Well, I sent my grandson Kolya Zvonnikova, he for the summer to stay coming, an ambulance and to call the police. The first ambulance arrived, then the police. Doctors the guy from the car got him there trapped. It was twenty minutes to twelve”.
On the right side of the bridge are visible embossed Icarus of protective fencing pieces of concrete hanging from rebar. In the river — traces of the wheels of the bus. On the other side of the bridge, too, have chipped the side of the column, — the one which crashed Muscovite. In the middle of the road – curve healthy scratch long three-meter — smashes from the terrible blow, she drew a cardan Zuevskay machine. We sit in a taxi. “Now where?” asks Janis. “I wish that bus to find. This autoenterprise №29. know where?” “I say.
“I work there, and the bus is the Park worth it, in my opinion, and wouldn’t come out!”. Go in the middle of the corridor of the ship pines. Then the left starts flickering of the lake. On any one of them and threw Choi fish. In the courtyard of the fleet we drove up to the Icarus. The driver, gone to lunch, and when will come is not known. I photographed the bus and go back to the car. “I wish the machine itself Tsoi to find!”, “I say. “Why look for her, she’s the boss in the box is he out of there and took!”. Go to the head.
Canopies Sergey, after learning about the purpose of the visit, broke into a sly smile: “well, hiding from everyone, not telling anyone, and you somehow found out. You are the first one I found. I have it in his box set, and then found out! Okay, let’s go – show. Machine has not been touched. There are only rods I took, here they are in my office are, and a few fish in the trunk was, I threw them, still bad. Take pictures of the machine? I don’t know, it is necessary to have relatives to ask permission!”, he says, and rings the Leningrad – Mariana. She’s not home. Parents Tsoi, Valentina and Robert Maximovich, clearly surprised by a call from Columbia asking about photographing cars. “Car is in Mariana, Victor drove by proxy, Mariana and to decide, we here can not solve”.
The head of the autoenterprise №29 Canopies Sergey opens the garage, which is broken Muscovite Viktor Tsoi. Suitable girls. As they say the car is “the car can not be restored”. In front of the car like an accordion: bonnet was folded in two, as he heaved and the roof. The front seat was pushed into the back seat. Inside the cabin we notice a strand of long black hair. Receptive Eugene saw them, immediately begins to cry. Nick, aware of the prohibition to remove, pushing me with her elbow and a conspiratorial whisper: “there he turned and not watching — just do it!” I answer that I can’t do that.
Sergey opens the trunk. Behind the car is completely intact, the impact was frontal. Lying in the trunk of shabby backpack (probably to fish) and lies some folded posters with a holiday “MK” in the Luzhniki stadium. On them is the announcement of the gala concert of the “Sound track” in the center written in large group “Cinema”. The car is dark blue (not white, as he wrote some Moscow publications), and the motor’s in the right place. We go out of the box. Everyone’s mood is depressed
“And here, by the way, the bus that the coffin in Leningrad were taken”, — said Sergey, and points at a yellow PAZ-672, license plate 2115 LTE. “His photograph the only room not to write. And the fans in Moscow will meet, even glass stones beat. Like what? Still, the coffin was brought. No, I also think that the bus is neither here nor there, and all of a sudden? I was following a bus driver Guzanov Vladimir, he Tukums directly from the morgue to the Theological cemetery and brought. Took away the coffin of Natasha, she was here, then Mariana came and, in my opinion, Aizenshpis also came.
The driver we travel in two days was discharged. After all, no one to take not wanted, all refused. Well, firstly it’s a long way to Leningrad, and quickly chase — a coffin after all. He “flew” in front of it with booze, that’s his punishment and sent”. In conclusion, Kopiev gives me his card with a request to send the material when released. Going back to the station. It’s getting dark. Driving past the scene of the accident, Janis without our request gives a long beep.
Please stop in any store to buy cigarettes and candy. The store is full of both, but strict saleswoman asks me for a business card of the buyer. With nothing I came out of the store. Seeing my troubled face, Janis asked what was the matter. Explain that wanted to buy a couple of boxes of chocolates, but don’t sell. “Wait, there’s the familiar driver is unloaded, let’s 25 rubles.” I give, and in a minute he returned with two boxes of chocolates. Finally we got to the station. The counter 23 rubles and kopecks. The girls whine that they have very little money left. I removed dvadtsatipyatiletnih and say “keep the change” and let him pohudet yet, when would drive the place of death of Choi. He promises
Live sound “the Death of Choi: is what it really is”
Membership
This year Viktor Tsoi would have turned 35 years old. The date of the round, but did not live. Soon will come August 15, the day that will begin a new, already the eighth year of life without Tsoi. Many fans of “the MOVIE” still believe that the death of their idol was not accidental. In those days, some media tried to convince the public the idea that death waited a very long time musician and just chose a suitable case for the attack.
Part of the Fans still thinks that Choi is still alive. Vitina the most devoted fans tried to conduct their own investigation of the incident, which around a simple accident had such a lot of rumors, myths and legends that in the time to produce a thick book dedicated to the death of the artist. In the newspaper “Live sound” journalist Oleg Belikov has brought a unique materials devoted to the disaster, including interviews with Vitya mother Valentina Vasilyevna Tsoi, dated February 1991 and has never previously been available. Since the reliability of factual information, no doubt, we decided to publish the true version of the tragedy. And finally to put an end to this story.
Vacation
One of the items of income latviski Birty Luh, who worked at the fish processing plant, was her house, called by neighbors in the fishing village of Plienciems (near Riga), Zeltini” if Russian is “Golden”
Natalia Razlogova Birta met long ago when she was first married. So that when the day razlogova arrived in Plienciems with silent dark-haired guy named Viktor Tsoi, Ms. Luh just took note of changes in the personal lives of its regular client. That he’s a musician, Yes, known, Birta learned only later.
Valentina Vasilyevna Tsoi: “I know what a car accident, you know that he died. I can not believe Natalina story. I’m a biologist by training, and so the act is an incontestable argument. Remember, however, that after the first time I tried to read it, I’m about two months for him to approach us. Actually you have to be ready to read papers with a description of the injuries your child. That is, the physiological and anatomical details of someone else’s death I’m ready, but another thing when it’s written about my son! However, this can not escape! Life and death — they are always near. I’m not especially interested in the circumstances of his death, from the act I realized that his chest was a terrible hole, and he died instantly. But the guys with the Bogoslovskoye cemetery constantly torturing me with assumptions that supposedly he’s not dead. The mother is very hard”.
Natasha came along with Victor and his son Sasha every year for the whole summer — from June to September. A gift to the mistress of the head of the family always brought a good bottle of wine, which he drank immediately for the meeting. According to Berti, Victor always said that nowhere is he so well does not rest, as in “Zeltini”. And no wonder — the house is made of yellow Sandstone, it was a small number of pine trees, and right behind them was already looking at the waves of the Bay. It was unusually quiet.
Victor and Natasha appreciated the peace that radiated fishing village. As a family they loved to go for mushrooms, playing badminton, riding a skateboard and, of course, fished. It was hard to believe that Victor is one of those hairy”, all the time yelling into the microphone on TV. Too much the guy did not correspond to popular notions about rock music — even though he brought a guitar and a tape recorder, but the songs are heart-rending voice yelled. Victor often something was playing, but it was only in his room and very quiet.
Valentina Vasilyevna Tsoi: “We then went from the cemetery, I see the circle the inscription “Victor is alive”. And I said, “Robert, how can you believe your Viti?!” And recently, the phone rang. Pick up the phone and hear “Mom!” I’m the only one that could answer “Oh that?!” But not Vitka voice, apparently confused. And hung up. I then “twisted” the whole evening. And then — even worse. I love the guys that live on Theology. Through their fate was the Victor, and my grief is their grief. And they are trying to prove to me that Victor is alive. Say, “Valentina, you know, there is a superstition that animals avoid places where the buried dead. They’ll never see the grave.” I answer: “When I flew the crows, they’re not afraid of anything. First sat down on the umbrella, and then another closer to the grave flew”. And they are: “Even a squirrel on his grave sat…” And, you know, those kids that is always there, next to Victor and I, too, begin to doubt. One boy with Theological, Stas, told me: “you Know, the night of the grave is some kind of glow, something absolutely unearthly that is rising…” In General, they have faith in Vitina supernatural power”
Sasha — son of Victor and Mariana Choi (the first wife of musician) — he loved to travel with his father on a fishing trip. “Men” usually returned home tired but happy, despite the fact that fish, as a rule, were few. Apparently, they just liked the process itself: first as fees for fishing, packing equipment, loading it into the car, then riding on the night road and the long vigil at the river.
Valentina Vasilyevna Tsoi: “there was a moment when I wanted to leave. I have accumulated a large number of notebooks Vitiny fans with poems-dedications. There is a sea of verses, and they are… killer! And then, in that period, to move in with him was pretty easy, you know? Then I cried, was on the pill… I was hesitant but constantly tried to persuade myself that I have someone to live for: first, it is unclear what will happen to Sasha because Mariana will create a new family; second, Irina, Marianina mother in need of assistance. In addition, I have a sister that is in some degree weak — mother died, father died and left me her one. In short, I decided that I have someone to live for! We have to live! I even had to live! After all, Robert and I need his son to Lena…
– Robert has a son?
– Yes, Leon, very good boy. After Robert left us, married another, and then back again. Now his son is 17 years old, but under 14, the guy didn’t even know that he has a brother Victor. His mother immediately gave the child his last name is Kuznetsov, and did not allow Robert to see him. The only thing Leon knew, is that his father name is Choi. But at the end of the Konov she allowed Robert to call her, and they began to chat — met, went on a fishing trip, and once everything was adjusted. The boy had always stretched to us, he understood Vitka. Now Leon takes our name, he decided to do it. You see, he, too, must live and we must help him”.
Tragedy
In the beginning of the twelfth of August 15 has already started to burn the sun, +24. Victor was returning home from a night of fishing. This time Sasha did not go, as evening fell asleep, waiting for his father. Straight line asphalt highway Sloka — Talsi between the two rows of pine trees, the ship flew under the wheels of the car Tsoi at a speed of 150 km/h. the trunk was a couple of fishing rods and catch a few fish. To meet him was driving “Ikarus — 250” with license plate 0518 BPH, at the wheel which sat Janis Karlovich Fibex. He surpassed repaired empty bus on his home depot No. 29. Standing one-story house, nicknamed locally “Autoplace” was ahead of the path, both the first and the second.
The hostess “Autoprice”, Antonina Urbana, was driving behind “Icarus” on the other bus. Traveling ahead of “Icarus” was constantly in her field of vision only for a moment disappeared from sight — when turning for home. When Urbana pulled up to the house, I saw that “Icarus” is already in a roadside ditch, the front wheels pulled off the bridge in little river. His driver was still in the cockpit. And in the middle of the road were “the Muscovite” with a crumpled hood from a strong blow that unfolded across the highway. The dashboard of the car drove into the front row of seats, pinning the driver to the seat. And the roof of the car, deformed, clamped over his head. Snyavshiysya driveshaft drew on a highway deep scratch about a meter long.
In Tukums the roads are not that in Russia. They are well paved, so that greater speed were not uncommon. Hence the frequent crash. For local residents, numerous incidents have become commonplace. And for the investigator Tukums OVD Erica Ashmanov, which led to case No. 480 of an accident on 35-m of km of highway Sloka — Talsi, happened the disaster was not something out of the ordinary. In order to fix this case, it took only one paragraph of the official paper in vegasno documentation. And for the year in this MIA accumulate dozens of pages with similar records. Antonina Urbana sent his grandson to call an ambulance. The clock showed 11 hours and 40 minutes. The EMT arrived at the scene of the accident before the cops pronounced dead Tsoy Victor Robertovich. Somewhere in the archives of the Tukums police Department still kept the petition for excitation of criminal case on citizen Tsoi V. R. as the perpetrator of the accident. The case was dismissed “in the death of the accused”
Fell asleep Lee Choi driving or thinking — that no one learns. But it is well established that “Muscovite” ran into a column of the fence of the bridge, then the car and threw into the oncoming lane under the wheels of “Ikarus”. And before that, the car is about 250 meters passed on the roadside.
Dozed off whether Victor? Moved out, thinking? Sudden cardiac arrest? Loss of consciousness?
Valentina Vasilyevna Tsoi: “One day, Yuri Kasparian said to me, “Victor was a great magician, he managed thousands of people through the power he possessed. I can’t understand how he did it. He must have been a very strong kind…” And I remembered how one day Vic came home, and I told him: “Look, you’re so ordinary, what people you, then go?” He is silent in response. “You tell me, how do you even?” — “Mom, I’m very, very good.” — “To twist, but hard to be so?” —2Очень hard.”
Funeral
According to the Leningrad of the program “600 seconds”, in the first days after the death of Viktor Tsoi in Leningrad on 30% jump in number of suicides. They were mostly young men and women not yet 21 years of age.
The bus with the remains of Viktor Tsoi came from Tukums to the gate of the Bogoslovskoye cemetery (Saint Petersburg) at noon. But his fans said goodbye to Victor in the morning. First, in a rock club in 13 Rubinstein, then in Kamchatka (in the boiler room where Tsoi worked). Civil funeral has not been. It was replaced by the construction of improvised exhibition on the cemetery wall. Everywhere photographs, drawings, badges, posters, poems of dedication. In the lattice of the building two bent of the Russian flag. And a sea of people with mourning tapes, recorders and guitars. Everywhere music Choi. Upholstered in dark blue cloth, the coffin is lowered into the grave, installed a granite slab with the inscription “Tsoy Victor Robertovich. 1962 — 1990”. About two large portrait of Tsoi, a wreath with the inscription: “Singer and citizen Viktor Tsoi. Regret. The Korean society.” After parting at the grave — funeral procession along Nevsky Prospekt. In front of portraits of Choi, they are on hand. Bowed flags. Columns of people accompanied by the police. Movement is slow as honorary escort. The procession takes up one side of Nevsky. Behind the machine carefully go round the procession. On Palace square, under the vaulted arches, people begin to chant “Victor is alive!”
