Viktor Tsoi Wall on Arbat

The Viktor Tsoi Wall on Arbat is one of the most recognizable informal memorials in the Russian capital. This place has become a symbol of an entire era associated with the work of the legendary rock musician, leader of the band «Kino». For more than three decades of its existence, this landmark has turned into a cult space where fans leave messages, drawings, and words of gratitude to their idol.

Location and how to get to the Tsoi Wall

The people’s memorial is located at Arbat, 37/2, building 5. The wall is the façade of a small service building of the Moscow District Military Court, which stands at the intersection of the famous Arbat Street and Krivoarbatsky Lane. The building is approximately 30 meters long and about 7 meters wide.

Landmarks to help you find it

Finding the attraction is not difficult if you know a few characteristic features of the area:

• Look for a tall six-storey coffee-gray building at 1 Krivoarbatsky Lane
• The two-storey court building is located directly in front of this residential house
• At the end facing Arbat there is a paid public toilet

Geographical coordinates of the site: 55.749051, 37.590843.

How to get there

Its central location makes visiting as convenient as possible for tourists and city residents:

• Metro — the best transport option. You can get off at Smolenskaya or Arbatskaya stations, located at the southern and northern ends of the pedestrian street respectively. The walk will take 7–10 minutes
• Buses — the “Smolenskaya Ploshchad” stop is served by routes No. 64, B, S12, t10, t39, t79; the “Arbatskiye Vorota” stop by routes No. 15, A, 39, m2, m27, n2
• Taxis — all popular services are available (Yandex.Taxi, Gett, Uber, Maxim)
• Car — paid parking in the central districts of the capital must be taken into account

History of the people’s memorial

Viktor Tsoi’s tragic death on 15 August 1990 in a car accident near the Latvian town of Tukums shocked millions of fans of his music. On the same day, an unknown person wrote in black paint on the wall of the building: “Today Viktor Tsoi died”. Soon a reply inscription appeared, which became a catchphrase: “Tsoi is alive”.

Two versions of how the memorial was formed

There are several points of view on how an ordinary gray wall turned into a cult place:

1. The canonical version claims that it all began with that historic inscription about the musician’s death. From August to the end of September 1990, teenagers and young people constantly kept watch by the wall, leaving portraits of the artist, flowers, and declarations of love for his work. At that time, a tradition also appeared of leaving a lit cigarette broken in half — a symbol of a life tragically cut short
2. The alternative version, proposed by journalist Aleksei Baikov, states that as early as three years before Tsoi’s death, the spot at the mouth of Krivoarbatsky Lane served as a gathering point for nonconformist youth. The wall was used as a means of communication: hitchhikers left messages here, concerts and apartment shows were announced, and addresses for overnight stays were written down

According to this second view, the memorial became a monument not only to a specific person, but also to an entire generation with its alternative culture, opposed to official ideology.

Symbolism and traditions

Over the decades of its existence, stable rituals and traditions have formed at the Tsoi Wall:

• Visitors leave quotes from songs by the band «Kino» and personal messages to the musician
• New portraits of Viktor Tsoi constantly appear on the surface
• A lit and broken cigarette in a special ashtray has become a distinctive attribute of the place
• Fans write the names of their cities, creating a geography of admirers of the artist’s work
• Improvised concerts by amateur bands who perform covers of «Kino» songs are held regularly

Conflicts and attempts to paint over the wall

The history of the Tsoi Wall has repeatedly been overshadowed by conflicts between the musician’s fans, local residents, and the authorities.

Chronology of key events

2006 — the first attempt to eliminate the memorial. The wall was completely painted over by unknown persons, but fans quickly restored the inscriptions and drawings from numerous photographs. 2009 — activists from the youth movements “Mestnye” and “Molodaya Gvardiya” organized a protective action against the authorities’ intention to paint over the graffiti. 2016 — two significant incidents occurred. In June, unknown persons wrote the provocative inscription “Tsoi is dead” across the wall, which was quickly removed. The owner of the building — the Moscow District Military Court — officially put forward an initiative to paint over the landmark, citing the attraction of an “undesirable” crowd. April 2019 — football fans of Moscow’s Dynamo painted a large inscription “Peremen trebuyut nashi serdtsa” (“Our hearts demand changes”) with a characteristic stylization of the letter “D”. The action was directed against the club management’s policies and caused a negative public reaction. Sports journalist Dmitry Guberniev publicly condemned the fans’ actions. April 2025 — the wall was painted over by fans of Pasha Tekhnik after his funeral. The graffiti depicting Tsoi was covered by the inscription “Tekhnik”.

Problems of the present

Over time, the atmosphere around the memorial has changed significantly. Whereas at first it was a place of sincere grief and remembrance, today the situation has taken on a more contradictory character.

Negative factors

• The appearance of intoxicated groups who create noise and disturb local residents
• The presence of beggars and marginal individuals
• Meaningless inscriptions such as “Masha, I love you”, which have nothing to do with the musician’s memory
• The transformation of the place into a popular tourist spot for selfies without understanding its cultural significance
• Litter and traces of vandalism
• Constant noise from amplifiers during amateur concerts

Residents of nearby houses have repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction with the situation. Their complaints are related not so much to the very existence of the memorial as to the accompanying problems — noise, unsanitary conditions, and marginal crowds.

Cultural significance and contemporary perception

Despite the controversies, the Tsoi Wall continues to remain an important cultural site. Robert Maksimovich Tsoi, the musician’s father, highly values the significance of this people’s memorial: “The presence in Moscow of such a wall of memory, a true people’s memorial, matters to me; it is important to me”.

Visitor reviews

Opinions of tourists and fans of Tsoi’s work are divided:

• Positive impressions — many see the wall as a living memory of the musician and the era of the 1990s. The inscriptions continue to be renewed, creating a multilayered palimpsest of recollections. The place is located in a quiet lane, which allows you to spend a few minutes in reflection away from tourist crowds
• Mixed feelings — the modern surroundings create a dissonance between the memory of the musician and the commercialization of the place. Showy poses for Instagram against the backdrop of Tsoi’s eternal lines evoke conflicting feelings in many visitors

Tsoi Walls in other cities

The phenomenon of the Moscow wall has spread far beyond the capital:

• Saint Petersburg — a Tsoi square has been created next to the famous Kamchatka boiler house where the musician worked
• Minsk (Belarus) — an active memorial wall
• Kyiv (Ukraine) — a wall was opened in 2013 in the courtyard of the building at 4-b Mykhaila Hrushevskoho Street; there is also a “Tsoi tree” at Lake Telbin
• Perm — a memorial was opened in 2018 on the grounds of the extreme park near the Perm-2 railway station
• Morskoy — in 2011, a monument to the band «Kino» with a Tsoi Wall was unveiled
• Dnepropetrovsk, Enerhodar, Ust-Kamenogorsk — similar memorials
• Tula — a wall once existed on Grigory Kaminsky Street, but was demolished in 2009 during the construction of a shopping center

Practical information for visitors

The Tsoi Wall is accessible 24/7 and free of charge. Recommendations for tourists:

• The best time to visit is in the morning or on weekdays, when there are fewer noisy groups
• Avoid weekends and evenings if you want to spend time in peace and quiet
• Respect the memory of the musician and do not leave meaningless inscriptions
• Be prepared for the presence of other visitors and street musicians nearby
• Photography is freely allowed, but it is worth remembering the cultural significance of the place

Conclusion

The Viktor Tsoi Wall on Arbat remains a unique phenomenon of Russian culture. It is a living organism that continues to evolve along with society. The contradictions between its status as a people’s memorial and contemporary realities do not diminish the historical value of the place. For one generation, it was a stage for youth protest and informal communication; for another, a way to touch the legend of Russian rock. For more than thirty years, the wall has served as a place where fans can express their feelings for Viktor Tsoi’s work. Despite all the difficulties and conflicts, the landmark continues to live, attracting people from all over Russia and abroad. As one fan said: “A quarter of a century has passed, and his fame lives on”. Visiting the Tsoi Wall is an opportunity to connect with the history of Russian rock music, feel the atmosphere of a turning point in time, and pay tribute to a musician whose work continues to inspire new generations of listeners.