# Mykola Bagrayev

Mykola Georgiyovich Bagrayev (Ossetian: Георгийы фырт Никъала Багъӕраты, Ukrainian: Микола Георгійович Баграєв) is a Ukrainian businessman in the fields of media and show business and a social activist.

## Biography

Bagrayev was born on 19 June 1964, in the Digora village in North-Ossetian ASSR, Russia. His mother is Chabahan Bagrayeva (born 1927), and his father is Georgiy Bagrayev (born 1882), a farmer in Digora and a war veteran.
Bagrayev is married to Svetlana Bagrayeva (born in 1966), a psychologist. They have a son, Ruslan (born in 1988), who graduated from Kyiv National Economic University with a degree from the International Economics and Management faculty. The pair also have a daughter, Lyudmila (born in 1990). She is also enrolled in the International Economics and Management faculty at Kyiv National Economic University.
In 1987 Bagrayev graduated from Kherson State Agrarian and Economic University, Faculty of Civil Engineering., in 2005 – from Kyiv National Economic University, Faculty of International Economics, cum laude.
From 1987 to 1988 he started his career as a senior technical inspector in the permanent buildings and facilities construction department of "Kherson Beauty." Then, from 1988 to 1991 he worked as Second and later First Secretary of Kakhovka city Komsomol Committee, from 1991 to 1992 he was Chairman of the Youth Committee of Kakhovka municipality.
From 1992 his professional career was connected with the International Festival "Tavria Games" — he was CEO at Directorate of the festival (1992—1996), President of JSC "Tavria Games" (1996—2000), President of "Tavria Games"; Chairman of the Supervisory Board of "Tavria Media" radio unit (since 2014).
Bagrayev is a businessman in mass media and show business. Founder of the festivals "Tavria Games" (founded in 1992) and "Black Sea Games" (1998).
He founded the TAVR Media radio group, which manages 9 radio stations: Hit FM, Radio ROKS, KISS FM, Radio RELAX, Melody FM, Nashe Radio, Radio JAZZ, Classic Radio, Radio Bayraktar. He is also the founder of a group of companies representing music TV channels M1, M2.

## Politics and Social activity

* February 1998 – October 2000 – Secretary of Presidential Expert Council of Manufacturers and Entrepreneurs.
* June 2000 – May 2002 – Member of the National Presidential Council on Television and Radio Broadcasting of Ukraine.
* June 2002 – April 2006 – Secretary of Verkhovna Rada Committee on freedom of speech and information.
* June 2006 – June 2007 – Chairman of the Subcommittee on electronic media and ICT systems, Verkhovna Rada Committee on freedom of speech and information.
* Since December 2007 – Member of Verkhovna Rada Committee on freedom of speech and information.
* Since May 2006 – Member of the fraction of Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc.
* December 2007 – March 2010 – Advisor to the Prime Minister of Ukraine (as a public service).
* Member of the Committee of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Ukraine.
* Member of the Group for Interparliamentary Relations with Russia.
Mykola Bagrayev was the People's Deputy of Ukraine in the 4th, 5th, and 6th convocations of Verkhovna Rada. Although elected for the pro-European Bloc Yulia Tymoshenko (and at the time member of the All-Ukrainian Union "Fatherland") in March 2012, he became a member of the faction of the pro-Russian Party of Regions in March 2012, despite having been one of the architects of Yulia Tymoshenko's election campaign during the Ukrainian presidential elections of 2010.
In 2012 he was re-elected into parliament on the party list of the Party of Regions (number 51 on the list).
Bagrayev was among MPs from the ruling Party of Regions and the Communist Party who voted in favour of ten Ukrainian anti-protest laws restricting freedom of speech and freedom of assembly. This was described in the media and by experts as "draconian," with Timothy Snyder claiming that they effectively established the nation as a dictatorship.
Bagrayev did not stand in the 2014 Ukrainian parliamentary election.

## Awards

* Honored Artist of Ukraine (1997);
* Order "For Merit" III Art. (2004);
* Honorary citizen of Kakhovka.