The Russian rock band "Gaza Strip". The history of the team

The band "Gaza Strip" was formed in 1987 by Voronezh musician Yuri Klinskikh, also known as Yuri Khoy. For many years, he was the permanent leader of the band and the author of the songs. The band's name refers to local folklore — Voronezh residents called the industrial zone on the left bank of the city, where Yuri Khoy lived and worked, the "Gaza Strip".

The band joined a local rock club and quickly gained popularity not only in their hometown, but also abroad. The band's fame was brought by texts describing the life and everyday life of ordinary representatives of the working youth of the early 90s, to which the musician himself referred himself. They described life in the post-Soviet period. The band's lyrics were filled with vivid and scandalous images about sex, prison, rural life and military service, which complemented the grotesque and humor, often with the use of profanity.

The first recordings of the Gaza Strip, made in 1989, were not widely recognized, but after the release of the albums "The Sinister Dead" and "Yadrena Louse" in 1990, the band gained national popularity. At the same time, for the habit of shouting "Hoi!" from the stage, taken from the leader of the group "Civil Defense" Egor Letov, Klinsky was given the nickname "Yura Hoi". Critics have defined the band's style as "collective farm punk", characterized by the simplicity and rudeness of the lyrics and music.

The team was promoted by Gala Records, one of the first record companies established after the collapse of the USSR. Despite the fact that the press preferred to ignore the band for a long time, the "Gaza Strip" appeared on television screens. In 1991, an edition of the popular "Program A" with their participation was broadcast. It was the first time the team's performance was shown on central television.

The band toured the country a lot, gathering full houses. The band also gave concerts in the countries of the former Soviet Union and abroad — Israel and Germany. The success was interrupted by the sudden death of the team's founder, Yuri Klinsky. He died on July 4, 2000 from a heart attack at the age of 35. According to unofficial data, hepatitis and prolonged drug and alcohol abuse could lead to the musician's death.

The band's last studio work was the album Hellraiser, released after the death of its leader. In total, the band has released 13 studio albums and two self-released albums recorded on tape cassettes.

The band's line-up changed frequently. At various times, guitarist and arranger Igor Zhirnov (now a member of the Rondo group), guitarists Vladimir Lobanov and Igor Kushchev (Kushch), keyboardist Alexey Ushakov, drummer Oleg Kryuchkov, singer Tatiana Fateeva (backing vocals) and others worked with the Gaza Strip.

The group, which appeared at the dawn of perestroika, became a real phenomenon of Soviet and post-Soviet show business. The Gaza Strip became one of the few bands of that time that managed to gain national popularity, despite bans, censorship and isolation from radio and newspapers.

The State Duma proposed banning the Gaza Strip group

In the early 90s, attempts were made to protect young people from the controversial work of the group. In particular, in Ulyanovsk, after the first performance of the "Gaza Strip" on the stage of the local recreation center, a notice appeared to ban the band's concerts in the city.

Once again, the work of Yuri Khoy was under threat in Russia in 2025. Nina Ostanina, head of the State Duma Committee for Family Protection, spoke out in favor of banning the musical heritage of the Gaza Strip group on September 17. She explained this decision with new requirements on the conformity of works with spiritual and moral values. The parliamentarian stated that the committee intends to consider this issue in the near future.

The statement caused a flurry of criticism from the band's fans. Ostanina later explained that Russia does not plan to ban the songs of the Gaza Strip, but can only remove compositions that contain profanity.

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