Sektor Gaza was founded in Voronezh by Yuri Klinskikh, also known as Yuri "Khoy".[2] The group is named after an industrial district of Voronezh nicknamed Sektor Gaza due to its high levels of environmental contamination (also corresponds to the Russian name of Gaza Strip).[1][3] Sektor Gaza's first performance as a group occurred at the local rock club on 9 June 1988, but the group's official date of establishment is traditionally given as 5 December 1987, the date of Klinskikh's first solo performance of material from Sektor Gaza's future repertoire at the Voronezh Rock Club.[2]
In 1989, the group recorded the demo tapes Plugi-vugi (Russian: Плуги-вуги, lit. 'Plows-woogie (i.e., pun on "Boogie-woogie")') and Kolkhozny pank (Russian: Колхозный панк, lit. 'Kolkhoz Punk').[2]
In 1990, the group recorded the albums Zloveshchiye Mertvetsy (Russian: Зловещие Мертвецы, lit. 'The Sinister Dead') and Yadryona Vosh (Russian: Ядрёна Вошь, lit. 'Vigorous Louse') in a professional recording studio in Voronezh. Klinskikh sold his motorcycle in order to afford to rent the studio.[2]
In 1991, Sektor Gaza made their television debut, appearing on the programs 50x50 and Programma A (Russian: Программа А) on the Central Television of the USSR.[3][4] The music video for "Kolkhozny pank" was shown on the youth program Do 16 i starshe... (Russian: До 16 и старше...), contributing to the group's fame across the country.[3] In the same year, the group recorded the album Noch pered Rozhdestvom (Russian: Ночь перед Рождеством, lit. 'The Night Before Christmas') at the Mir studio in Moscow and rerecorded the album Kolkhozny pank at Gala Records.[2][3]
In 1992, Sektor Gaza released their sixth studio album, Gulyay, muzhik! (Russian: Гуляй, мужик!, lit. 'Have fun, man!') and toured extensively.[2] In 1993, the group released Nazhmi na gaz (Russian: Нажми на газ, lit. 'Hit the gas').[2]
In 1995, the group performed at the Rock Summer festival in Tallinn.[5] They also toured Germany and Israel and performed at the Gorbunov Palace of Culture.[3] Also in August, the single "Tuman" was released.
In 1996, Sektor Gaza released Gazovaya Ataka (Russian: Газовая Атака), which marked a change in the group's style and a move away from obscene lyrics. The music video for the track "Tuman" (Russian: «Туман», lit. 'Fog') off this album made it into the rotation of many Russian television channels.[2][3]
In 1997, the group released Narcologichesky Universitet Millionov (Russian: Наркологический Университет Миллионов, lit. 'Narcological University of Millions'). The song "Pora domoy" (Russian: «Пора домой», lit. 'Time to go home') from this album became a hit.[2][3]
In the summer of 1998, Klinskikh and Aleksey Bryantsev (DJ Krot) arranged some Sektor Gaza songs as techno remixes, which were released on the album Extasy in 1999.[2][6]
In October 2000, the group released a new album, Vosstavshy iz Ada (Russian: Восставший из Ада, lit. 'Hellraiser'). Klinskikh's health was in decline due to liver disease. On 4 July 2000, Klinskikh complained of strong pains in his stomach and the left side of his chest. He chose not to cancel a meeting later that day to film a music video. He suffered heart failure shortly thereafter. Klinskikh died in Voronezh at the age of 35.
^"The name of the group is not a reference to Middle East conflict but to an ecologically contaminated industrial zone of Voronezh, which the locals called 'Sektor Gaza', although the Russian name for both is identical"[1]
