Yuriy Yosypovych Bohatykov (29 February 1932, Karlo-Marksove, Yenakiyevo - 8 December 2002, Simferopol) was a Soviet and Ukrainian singer, baritone.
He spent his childhood in the city of Sloviansk. During the German-Soviet War, Bogatikov and his parents and sisters were evacuated to Bukhara. After the war, the Bogatikov family moved to Kharkiv. In 1946, he entered the Kharkiv Craft School of Communications. In 1947, after graduating from the school, he worked as a mechanic repairing equipment for the Kharkiv telegraph, sang in amateur groups and was sent to study at the Kharkiv Music School, from where he was drafted into military service.
From 1951 to 1955, he served as a sailor in the Pacific Fleet and sang in a song and dance ensemble. After completing his service in the Navy, Yurii Bohatikov returned to the Kharkiv Telegraph, where he continued to work as a mechanic and study at the Kharkiv Music School. After graduating in 1959, he worked at the Theatre of Musical Comedy, then as a soloist in the Donbass miners' song and dance ensemble.
From 1960 to 1974, he was a soloist at the Kharkiv and Luhansk Philharmonic. He often sang for miners and was awarded the titles of Honoured Miner and Honorary Citizen of Sloviansk.
In 1967, Yuriy Bogatikov received a 1st degree diploma as the winner of the vocal competition at the Ukrainian Youth Festival and was awarded the Young Guard Prize. In 1968, he won the main prize at the Berlin Pop Song Festival, and in 1969, a silver medal at the Golden Orpheus Festival in Bulgaria. For 16 years (1970-1986), Yuri Bogatikov was a member of the Artistic Council for Variety at the Ministry of Culture of the USSR. From 1974 to 1992, he was a soloist with the Crimean State Philharmonic, and from 1992 he held the position of artistic director of the Philharmonic for festivals and special events.
He died on 8 December 2002 in Simferopol. He was buried in Simferopol at the Abdal cemetery.
Honours and awards
Monument to Yurii Bohatykov in Simferopol
"Honorary Citizen of Sloviansk", "Honorary Citizen of Yalta" and "Honorary Crimean". Honoured Artist of Ukraine (1968), People's Artist of Ukraine (1973), People's Artist of the USSR (1985).
He was a full holder of 3 Orders of Merit of Ukraine and was awarded the Russian Order of Friendship.
In memory
memorial plaque
On 28 February 2004, an architectural and memorial complex in memory of Yuriy Bogatikov was unveiled in the centre of Simferopol. The sculpture was created by Viktor Gordeev.
A memorial plaque was installed on the building of the Crimean State Philharmonic, where Yuriy Bogatikov worked from 1 February 1974 until his death. The memorial was initiated by the Russian Cultural Centre in Crimea of the Moscow-Crimea Foundation with the support of the Department of International Relations of the Moscow Government and the Simferopol City Executive Committee.
