▁went ▁on ▁tour ▁still ▁being ▁b anned ▁by ▁all ▁central ▁mass ▁media ▁out lets . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 0 , ▁during ▁the ▁years ▁of ▁the ▁Olympic ▁Th aw , ▁the ▁band ▁managed ▁to ▁release ▁a ▁solo ▁album ▁with ▁Mel odi ya ▁– ▁H ymn ▁to ▁the ▁Sun ▁– ▁and ▁particip ate ▁in ▁a ▁TV ▁show , ▁after ▁that ▁they ▁were ▁b anned ▁once ▁again . ▁The ▁period ▁of ▁b ans ▁and ▁per sec ution ▁that ▁last ed ▁to ▁ 1 9 8 6 ▁ended ▁with ▁Per estro ika ▁when ▁the ▁life ▁of ▁the ▁band ▁got ▁much ▁easier : ▁with ▁their ▁returned ▁name ▁The ▁Flow ers ▁went ▁on ▁tour , ▁performed ▁abroad ▁in ▁the ▁Western ▁countries ▁and ▁completed ▁a ▁world ▁tour ▁in ▁four ▁years . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 0 ▁the ▁band ▁ceased ▁its ▁activities ▁and , ▁as ▁a ▁matter ▁of ▁fact , ▁did ▁not ▁exist ▁for ▁the ▁next ▁almost ▁ten ▁years . ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁ 8 0 - s ▁the ▁Soviet ▁mon opol ist ▁record ▁label ▁Mel odi ya ▁sold ▁over ▁si xty ▁million ▁copies ▁of ▁The ▁Flow ers ▁records , ▁but ▁neither ▁St as ▁N amin , ▁nor ▁the ▁band ▁members ▁were ▁paid ▁out ▁of ▁this ▁record ▁sales . ▁N amin ▁wrote ▁most ▁of ▁The ▁Flow ers ▁songs . ▁Many ▁of ▁them ▁were ▁b anned , ▁but ▁those ▁which ▁were ▁released ▁became ▁national ▁hits . ▁His ▁song ▁H app iness ▁was ▁a ▁hit ▁No . ▁ 1 ▁for ▁three ▁years ▁in ▁ 8 0 - s