Renowned TV presenter Yuri Nikolaev has passed away at the age of 76 after a long battle with cancer. This was reported by ballet dancer Nikolai Tsiskaridze on his Telegram channel.
Yuri Nikolaev began his television career with the musical program "Morning Mail," which he hosted starting in 1974. Every Sunday, he read letters from viewers and broadcast musical performances based on their requests.
After successfully hosting "Morning Mail," he switched to the program "Morning Star" in 1991, which became a launching pad for many famous performers, such as Sergey Lazarev, Ani Lorak, Valeriya, and Pelageya.
Additionally, Nikolaev hosted the shows "Big Change" and "Dancing with the Stars" on the "Russia" channel, as well as "The Heritage of the Republic" on Channel One.
According to information from the SHOT Telegram channel, on November 4, the presenter felt unwell while at home. He had long suffered from a severe lung condition. According to Starhit, Nikolaev was hospitalized with a high fever and low blood oxygen levels, and he was diagnosed with severe pneumonia.
Nikolaev had already faced health issues: in November 2024, he was admitted to intensive care due to fainting, and he was diagnosed with pulmonary edema at that time. In 2007, he was diagnosed with colon cancer, and later also lung cancer.
The presenter’s family confirmed his death but did not specify the cause.
Yuri Nikolaev was born on December 16, 1948, in Chișinău (Moldavian SSR). In 1970, he graduated from GITIS, obtaining a degree in "theater and film acting." After that, he worked at the Moscow Drama Theater named after Pushkin until 1975.
Since 1973, Nikolaev began freelance work on television, and from 1975, he became a staff announcer for Central Television of the USSR State Television and Radio. He hosted "Morning Mail" until 1991 and also participated in programs such as "Blue Light" and "Song of the Year."
In 1991, he founded the production company "UNIX," which was involved in the production of "Morning Star."
Since 1995, Nikolaev became the producer of the program "Guess the Melody!" and from 1996, he held the position of general producer of the Moscow television company and artistic director of the Moscow channel for one year.
He also launched the first national award for children, "Calling," in 1996. In 1997, Nikolaev returned to "Morning Mail," occasionally appearing on screen in 2008–2009.
In 1998, he was awarded the title of People's Artist of Russia. Yuri Nikolaev was also a member of the Union of Journalists and a laureate of the award from this organization in 1993.
The TV presenter was awarded the Orders of Friendship (2007) and Honor (2014). In 1996, he received a letter of gratitude from the President of Russia, and in 2018, he was awarded a Certificate of Honor from the head of state and a government award in the field of culture.
Source: RBC
