Yevheniy Volodymyrovych Murayev ( uk, Євгеній Володимирович Мураєв; born 2 December 1976) is a pro-Russian

Ukrainian Ukrainian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Ukraine * Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe * Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine * So ...

politician and media owner. He is the current leader of the political party Nashi. Murayev has been a deputy of the

Kharkiv Oblast Council The Kharkiv Oblast Council ( uk, Харківська обласна рада) is the regional oblast council (parliament) of the Kharkiv Oblast (province) located in eastern Ukraine. The council is composed of 120 members and is situated in the o ...

(two convocations) and a deputy of the

Ukrainian parliament The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine ( uk, Верхо́вна Ра́да Украї́ни, translit=, Verkhovna Rada Ukrainy, translation=Supreme Council of Ukraine, Ukrainian abbreviation ''ВРУ''), often simply Verkhovna Rada or just Rada, is the ...

between 2012 and 2019 ( VII convocation and VIII convocation).Yevhen Murayev biography

Civil movement "Chesno" Chesno ( uk, Чесно, lit=honestly, fairly) is a Ukrainian public campaign that emerged late 2011 to advance a fair election process. It is widely known for its critical analysis and evaluation of politicians and the Verkhovna Rada (parliame ...

In the

2019 Ukrainian parliamentary election Snap elections to the Ukrainian parliament were held on 21 July 2019. Originally scheduled to be held at the end of October, these elections were brought forward after newly inaugurated President of Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dissolv ...

Murayev headed the nationwide list of

Opposition Bloc russian: Оппозиционный блок , colorcode = , logo = Opposition Bloc.png , logo_size = 240px , leader1_title = Chairman , leader1_name = Rinat Akhmetov (one wing)Dmytro Firtash & Yuriy Boyko ( ...

, but this party failed to win a parliamentary seat. Murayev is a former member of

Party of Regions The Party of Regions ( uk, Партія регіонів, Partiia rehioniv, ; russian: Партия регионов, Partiya regionov) was a pro-Russian political party in Ukraine formed in late 1997 that then grew to be the biggest party of Uk ...

and

and former chairman of the political council of the For Life (Za zhyttia) party. Following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Murayev disappeared and was rumoured to be in Russia. The British government alleged prior to the invasion that Murayev was selected by the Kremlin to be the next president of Ukraine under a new government.

Biography

Early life and professional career

Murayev was born on 2 December 1976 in

Zmiiv Zmiiv or Zmiyiv ( uk, Зміїв), Zmiev, or Zmeev (), also known as Gotwald ( uk, Готвальд) from 1976 to 1990, is a city in Chuhuiv Raion, Kharkiv, Ukraine. It hosts the administration of Zmiiv urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukr ...

Kharkiv Oblast Kharkiv Oblast ( uk, Харківська́ о́бласть, translit=Kharkivska oblast), also referred to as Kharkivshchyna ( uk, Ха́рківщина), is an oblast (province) of eastern Ukraine. The oblast borders Russia to the north, Luhans ...

in then the

Ukrainian SSR The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic ( uk, Украї́нська Радя́нська Соціалісти́чна Респу́бліка, ; russian: Украи́нская Сове́тская Социалисти́ческая Респ ...

of the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

. Murayev's father Volodymyr Kuzmych was the general director of a construction company Rapid CJSC. His mother Olha Oleksiivna was associate professor of the department of chemistry at

National University of Kharkiv The Kharkiv University or Karazin University ( uk, Каразінський університет), or officially V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University ( uk, Харківський національний університет імені ...

. In 1994 Murayev entered the Faculty of Economics of

Kharkiv State University The Kharkiv University or Karazin University ( uk, Каразінський університет), or officially V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University ( uk, Харківський національний університет імені ...

, from which he graduated in 1999. He completed with distinction. He received his second higher education at the

Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University The Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University ( uk, Національний юридичний університет імені Ярослава Мудрого» (НЮУ), ''Natsional'nyi yurydychnyi universytet imeni Yaroslava Mudroho'') is a ...

, he graduated there in 2014. From 2000 Murayev worked in several companies in senior positions. He held the position of director of LLC "Anklav" (wholesale trade in petroleum products). From 2001 to 2007 he was director of MKM-Khirkov LLC and from 2009 to 2010 (he was director) of Eastern Financial Group LLC.

Political and media career

In the

2006 Ukrainian local elections The 2006 Ukrainian local elections took place on March 26, 2006. The elections saw the southern and eastern regions of the country vote for the Party of Regions, while the west and central regions were won by the Our Ukraine Bloc and Yulia Tymoshe ...

Murayev was elected for the party Viche in the

. In the same election he failed to get elected to the

Kharkiv Kharkiv ( uk, wikt:Харків, Ха́рків, ), also known as Kharkov (russian: Харькoв, ), is the second-largest List of cities in Ukraine, city and List of hromadas of Ukraine, municipality in Ukraine. In the

2007 Ukrainian parliamentary election Early parliamentary elections in Ukraine took place on 30 September 2007. The date of the election was determined following agreement between the President Viktor Yushchenko, the Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych and the Chairman of the Verkhovna ...

Murayev failed to win a seat as part of the electoral alliance

KUCHMA Leonid Danylovych Kuchma ( uk, Леоні́д Дани́лович Ку́чма; born 9 August 1938) is a Ukrainian politician who was the second president of Ukraine from 19 July 1994 to 23 January 2005. Kuchma's presidency saw numerous corrup ...

. At that elections this bloc failed to enter parliament winning only 0,10% of the national vote. Murayev was reelected in the Kharkiv Oblast Council during the

2010 Ukrainian local elections The 2010 Ukrainian local elections took place on 31 October 2010,Party of Regions The Party of Regions ( uk, Партія регіонів, Partiia rehioniv, ; russian: Партия регионов, Partiya regionov) was a pro-Russian political party in Ukraine formed in late 1997 that then grew to be the biggest party of Uk ...

. In 2010 Murayev was appointed head of

Zmiiv Raion Zmiiv Raion () was a raion (district) in Kharkiv Oblast of Ukraine. Its administrative center was the town of Zmiiv. The raion was abolished on 18 July 2020 as part of the administrative reform of Ukraine, which reduced the number of raions of Kh ...

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

Viktor Yanukovich Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych ( uk, Віктор Федорович Янукович, ; ; born 9 July 1950) is a former politician who served as the fourth president of Ukraine from 2010 until he was removed from office in the Revolution of Di ...

.Small biography
liga.net In the

2012 Ukrainian parliamentary election The Ukrainian parliamentary election of 2012 took place on 28 October 2012.electoral district An electoral district, also known as an election district, legislative district, voting district, constituency, riding, ward, division, or (election) precinct is a subdivision of a larger state (a country, administrative region, or other polity ...

181 located in

. He, as a candidate of Party of Regions, won the district with 56.15% of the votes.Election of Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine 2012; district 181
UKR.VOTE He was Chairman of the Subcommittee on Foreign Economic Relations and Cross-Border Cooperation. Following his election he resigned as head of Zmiiv Raion. In July 2019, Murayev told

Dmitry Gordon Dmitry Ilyich Gordon ( uk, Дмитро Ілліч Гордон, Dmytro Illich Hordon, russian: Дмитрий Ильич Гордон; born October 21, 1967) is a Ukrainian journalist, interviewer, politician and singer. He is also the editor- ...

that in February 2014 he had taken the fleeing former

Prime Minister of Ukraine The prime minister of Ukraine ( uk, Прем'єр-міністр України, ) is the head of government of Ukraine. The prime minister presides over the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, which is the highest body of the executive branch of th ...

Mykola Azarov Mykola Yanovych Azarov ( uk, Мико́ла Я́нович Аза́ров, ; née, né Pakhlo; Cyrillic: Пахло; born 17 December 1947) is a Ukraine, Ukrainian politician who was the Prime Minister of Ukraine from 11 March 2010 to 27 January ...

out of Ukraine from Kharkiv to

Belgorod Belgorod ( rus, Белгород, p=ˈbʲeɫɡərət) is a city and the administrative center of Belgorod Oblast, Russia, located on the Seversky Donets River north of the border with Ukraine. Population: Demographics The population of Be ...

during the final days of

Euromaidan Euromaidan (; uk, Євромайдан, translit=Yevromaidan, lit=Euro Square, ), or the Maidan Uprising, was a wave of Political demonstration, demonstrations and civil unrest in Ukraine, which began on 21 November 2013 with large protes ...

. In the

2014 Ukrainian parliamentary election Snap elections to the Verkhovna Rada took place on 26 October 2014. Petro Poroshenko, the President of Ukraine, had pressed for early parliamentary elections since his victory in the presidential election in May. In 2014 he won reelection with 48.95%. From 2015 to 2016 he was a member of the

faction. In parliament he was a member of the Parliamentary Committee on Tax and Customs Policy. In 2018 Murayev became chairman of the political council of the For Life (Za zhyttia) party. In September 2018, he left Za zhyttia and (five days later) created the new political party

Nashi (Ours) ''Nashi'' (russian: Молодёжное демократическое aнтифашистское движение «Наши», ' Youth Democratic Anti-Fascist Movement "Ours!") was a political youth movement in Russia, which declared itself t ...

.People's Deputy Murayev is heading a new party "OUR"
Channel 24 (26 September 2018) On 10 January 2019, Murayev's party elected him as their candidate in the

2019 Ukrainian presidential election The 2019 Ukrainian presidential election was held on 31 March and 21 April in a two-round system. There were 39 candidates for the election on the ballot. The 2014 annexation of Crimea by Russia and the occupation of parts of Donetsk Oblast an ...

. On 7 March 2019, Murayev pulled out of the election in favor of

Oleksandr Vilkul Oleksandr Yuriyovych Vilkul ( uk, Олексaндр Юрійович Вiлкул; born 24 May 1974), also known as Aleksandr Yuryevich Vilkul (russian: Александр Юрьевич Вилкул) is a Ukrainian businessman and politician wh ...

. He also announced that Vilkul's party

and Nashi would soon merge.Muraev emerged from the elections in favor of Vilkul
Ukrayinska Pravda (7 March 2019) In the

Murayev headed the nationwide list of Opposition Bloc that won 3.23% of the votes and thus did not overcome the 5% election barrier, thereby keeping Murayev out of parliament. In 2014 Murayev became the owner of the Kharkiv Internet channel "Robinson TV", the MIGnews website and the news channel NewsOne. He is the founder of the pro-Russian TV channel NASH, which was owned by his father Volodymyr Murayev, and at 6 am on 7 November 2018, NASH announced it would begin airing in the fall under the leadership of the former owner of NewsOne. TV channel NewsOne was banned by a decree of President

Volodymyr Zelensky Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy, ; russian: Владимир Александрович Зеленский, Vladimir Aleksandrovich Zelenskyy, (born 25 January 1978; also transliterated as Zelensky or Zelenskiy) is a Ukrainian politicia ...

in February 2021. Since then, NASH has taken the place of the banned pro-Russian TV channels as it mostly features the same guests and similar messages. In January 2022, the British government accused Russia of seeking to supplant Ukraine's government via military force, and replace it with a pro-Russian administration possibly led by Murayev. British Foreign Minister

Liz Truss Mary Elizabeth Truss (born 26 July 1975) is a British politician who briefly served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from September to October 2022. On her fiftieth day in office, she stepped down ...

wrote on Twitter that the UK "will not tolerate Kremlin plot to install pro-Russian leadership in Ukraine." Murayev denied any such plan. Yevhen Murayev rejected the statement since he is under Russian sanctions. Russia dismissed the accusation as "misinformation". The

Russian Foreign Ministry The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation (MFA Russia; russian: Министерство иностранных дел Российской Федерации, МИД РФ) is the central government institution charged with lea ...

said the British accusation was "evidence that it is the NATO countries, led by the

Anglo-Saxons The Anglo-Saxons were a Cultural identity, cultural group who inhabited England in the Early Middle Ages. They traced their origins to settlers who came to Britain from mainland Europe in the 5th century. However, the ethnogenesis of the Anglo- ...

, that are escalating tensions around Ukraine." , a Ukrainian political analyst, wrote that "Murayev, for all his pro-Russianness, is not a figure who is very close to the

Kremlin The Kremlin ( rus, Московский Кремль, r=Moskovskiy Kreml', p=ˈmɐˈskofskʲɪj krʲemlʲ, t=Moscow Kremlin) is a fortified complex in the center of Moscow founded by the Rurik dynasty, Rurik dynasty. It is the best known of th ...

, especially compared to (Viktor) Medvedchuk." In February 2022, it was announced that the

National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine The National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (NSDC; uk, Рада національної безпеки і оборони України, RNBO or RNBOU) is the coordinating state body of the executive power under the President of Ukrai ...

had introduced sanctions against the TV channel NASH, on which Murayev appears regularly. The channel is going to be closed. On 24 February 2022, Russian President

Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin; (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who holds the office of president of Russia. Putin has served continuously as president or prime minister since 1999: as prime min ...

announced that Russia was conducting a "special military operation in

Donbas The Donbas or Donbass (, ; uk, Донба́с ; russian: Донба́сс ) is a historical, cultural, and economic region in eastern Ukraine. Parts of the Donbas are controlled by Russian separatist groups as a result of the Russo-Ukrai ...

"; soon after Russia started a massive invasion of Ukraine. On this 24 February Murayev posted on

Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...

“All these years, our government has lived by war, built all its policies around it, and now war is on the doorstep of each of us. These are the consequences of wrong and stupid decisions that everyone will have to unravel." He did not mention Russia in this post. Murayev latest Facebook post was on 25 February 2022. His whereabouts (and opinions) since are unknown. Ukrainian Internet publication

Obozrevatel "Obozrevatel" (; ) is a Ukrainian Internet publication of socio-political orientation, created in 2001. It belongs to Ukrainian politician and entrepreneur Mykhailo Brodskyy. In the publication, he holds the position of the chairman of the editoria ...

claimed early April 2022 that Murayev had gone to

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

with the help of Russian special services. Obozrevatel went on to claim that Russian authorities had considered Murayev as a possible "

Gauleiter A ''Gauleiter'' () was a regional leader of the Nazi Party (NSDAP) who served as the head of a ''Administrative divisions of Nazi Germany, Gau'' or ''Reichsgau''. ''Gauleiter'' was the third-highest Ranks and insignia of the Nazi Party, rank in ...

" of Kharkiv if the Russians had managed to occupy the city or as a new "

president of Ukraine The president of Ukraine ( uk, Президент України, Prezydent Ukrainy) is the head of state of Ukraine. The president represents the nation in international relations, administers the foreign political activity of the state, condu ...

" if Kyiv had been captured. On 14 June 2022 the Eighth Administrative Court of Appeal banned Murayev's party Nashi. The property of the party and all its branches were transferred to the state.

Views

Murayev considered the February 2014 Maidan revolution a Western-backed coup d’etat. He claimed that the

annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation In February and March 2014, Russia invaded and subsequently annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine. This event took place in the aftermath of the Revolution of Dignity and is part of the wider Russo-Ukrainian War. The events in Kyiv th ...

is recognized by the world and that the annexation is favorable to the

government of Ukraine The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine ( uk, Кабінет Міністрів України, translit=Kabinet Ministriv Ukrainy; shortened to CabMin), commonly referred to as the Government of Ukraine ( uk, Уряд України, ''Uriad Ukrai ...

. With the beginning of the

Russo-Ukrainian War The Russo-Ukrainian War; uk, російсько-українська війна, rosiisko-ukrainska viina. has been ongoing between Russia (alongside Russian separatist forces in Donbas, Russian separatists in Ukraine) and Ukraine since Feb ...

, Murayev said that it was a "

civil conflict A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

", noting that both sides received support from foreign states: Ukraine from the United States, and the

separatists Separatism is the advocacy of cultural, ethnic, tribal, religious, racial, governmental or gender separation from the larger group. As with secession, separatism conventionally refers to full political separation. Groups simply seeking greate ...

from Russia. Murayev claimed (contrary to Western mainstream media narratives) that US private military companies such as Greystone and Blackwater took part in the battle of Mariupol. Murayev believes that "

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...

does not wait for Ukraine." He believes that the issue of Ukrainian NATO membership should be decided at a

referendum A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a representative. This may result in the adoption of a ...

. Murayev is a supporter of

decentralisation in Ukraine Decentralisation in Ukraine is a series of reforms to give additional power and resources to local authorities. This process was intended to advance regional development and border reform. Successful steps have been taken. Angela Merkel, Georg ...

and expansion of the powers of the

regions In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...

. Murayev opposes

decommunization Decommunization is the process of dismantling the legacies of communist state establishments, culture, and psychology in the post-communist countries. It is sometimes referred to as political cleansing. Although the term has been occasionally ...

and has advocated for the preservation (in Ukraine) of the symbols of the Soviet Union as "historical and cultural memory". In an interview with the

112 Ukraine 112 Ukraine ( uk, 112 Україна) was a private Ukrainian TV channel which provided 24-hour news coverage. 112 Ukraine was available on satellites AMOS 2/3, via the DVB-T2 network, and was also available in packages of all major Ukrainian ca ...

TV channel on 7 June 2018 Murayev described the, at the time imprisoned in Russia, Ukrainian film director

Oleh Sentsov Oleh Hennadiiovych SentsovNosorih (Rhino)
labiennale.org ...

as a "person who was plotting arsons and explosions" and thus Sentsov was "a terrorist for one part of the population." In response to this in June 2018 the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine launched criminal proceedings against then MP Murayev on charges of treason and deliberately spreading false information about a crime.Murayev apologizes to Sentsov, but not for his words about 'terrorist'

Interfax-Ukraine The Interfax-Ukraine ( uk, Інтерфакс-Україна) is a Kyiv-based Ukraine, Ukrainian independent news agency founded in 1992. The company does not belong to the Russian news corporation Interfax Information Services. The company pub ...

(13 June 2018)
MP Murayev faces high treason case over remarks about Sentsov
(8 June 2018) On 13 June 2018 Murayev published a video in which he apologizes to Sentsov. He said he did not know whether the accusations of terrorism against Sentsov were fair, he also stated that he had not express his personal attitude Sentsov.Murayev: In my comment there was no personal attitude to Sentsov

Ukrayinska Pravda ''Ukrainska Pravda'' ( uk, Українська правда, lit=Ukrainian Truth) is a Ukrainian online newspaper founded by Georgiy Gongadze on 16 April 2000 (the day of the Ukrainian constitutional referendum). Published mainly in Ukraini ...

(8 June 2018) Murayev claimed he had made his remarks "to show how the government works." And used what he called the example of

Nadiya Savchenko Nadiya Viktorivna Savchenko ( uk, Надія Вікторівна Савченко; born 11 May 1981) is a Ukrainian politician, former Army aviation pilot in the Ukrainian Ground Forces and former People's Deputy of Ukraine. During the 2014 ...

"when they did their best to create an idol and a new

hero of Ukraine Hero of Ukraine (HOU; uk, Герой України, ''Heroi Ukrainy'') is the highest national title that can be conferred upon an individual citizen by the President of Ukraine. The title was created in 1998 by President Leonid Kuchma and as ...

, which was used for political confrontation with the northern neighbor and as an instrument of pressure on the world community."

Personal life

Murayev is divorced (since 2017). He has three sons and one daughter.

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Murayev, Yevheniy 1976 births Living people 21st-century Ukrainian politicians People from Zmiiv National University of Kharkiv alumni Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University alumni Opposition Platform — For Life politicians Party of Regions politicians Opposition Bloc politicians Viche politicians Seventh convocation members of the Verkhovna Rada Eighth convocation members of the Verkhovna Rada Ukrainian mass media owners Candidates in the 2019 Ukrainian presidential election