(image: Yonhap)
SEOUL, Sept. 28 (Korea Bizwire) — The former passport of Viktor Tsoi, the rock legend whose popularity peaked during the Soviet era, has been sold for approximately 150 million won at an auction, according to the Russian News Agency TASS.
Previous media reports claimed the passport was found at the home of Tsoi’s friend in St. Petersburg before it was sent off to be auctioned. The passport was reportedly issued when Tsoi was 16 years of age.
A notebook and a score that was handwritten by Tsoi himself were also discovered alongside his passport, and fetched 3 million rubles and 3.6 million rubles, respectively, at the auction.
The notebook had the phone numbers of other musicians written inside, while the music score featured one of Tsoi’s songs.
The Russian news agency, however, did not reveal who had been in possession of Viktor Tsoi’s articles after his death.
Tsoi was born to a Korean-Kazak father and a Russian mother in 1962 in the Russian city of St. Petersburg (then known as Leningrad).
Having formed a rock group called “Kino” in 1981 when he was only 19 years old, Tsoi continued a prolific music career in Russia.
Due to the messages of resistance freedom in Tsoi’s music that resonated with fans, the band gained significant popularity and Tsoi became an instant idol.
With hits like “Blood Type” and “The Last Hero,” Tsoi’s music is still beloved by many fans in Russia. Unfortunately, at the height of his popularity in 1990, Tsoi died in a car collision at the tender age of 28.
Fatigue was officially cited as the cause of death, but some people claim that he may have been murdered.
H. S. Seo (hsseo@koreabizwire.com)
