Former Ukrainian Lawmaker Mykola Frolov Dies at 67 Due to Cardiac Arrest

Mykola Frolov, a Doctor of Historical Sciences and Member of the Ukrainian Parliament's 8th Convocation, Has Passed Away

According to Главком: Mykola Frolov, a former lawmaker in Ukraine's parliament and a respected historian, died on June 27 at the age of 67 due to a sudden cardiac arrest. He was surrounded by his family at the time of his death. During his tenure as a People's Deputy, he served as Deputy Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Tax and Customs Policy.

Frolov was also the former acting rector of Zaporizhzhia National University, a professor, and an academician at the Academy of Sciences of Higher Education of Ukraine. He was a full recipient of the Order 'For Merits to the Zaporizhzhia Region.' His career spanned decades in both education and public service.

Educational and Political Career

Throughout his professional life, Frolov held a wide range of roles in the education sector. These include:

• Director of the Maryinska Eight-Year School in the Oryol Region in 1981;
• History teacher at Zaporizhzhia Secondary School No. 1 from 1984 to 1986;
• Deputy director and later director of Secondary School No. 76 in Zaporizhzhia;
• Instructor in the Department of Science and Educational Institutions of the Zaporizhzhia City Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine until 1988;
• Head of the Public Education Department of the Zaporizhzhia City Executive Committee and Director of the Public Education Department of the City Council Executive Committee until 1999;
• Deputy Head of the Zaporizhzhia Regional State Administration from 1999 to 2001;
• Rector of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Institute of Postgraduate Pedagogical Education from 2001 to 2006;
• First Vice-Rector and later Rector of the Classical Private University from 2010 to 2012;
• Deputy in the Zaporizhzhia Regional Council representing the All-Ukrainian Union 'Batkivshchyna.'

In 2015, he ran for Mayor of Zaporizhzhia under the 'Petro Poroshenko Bloc 'Solidarity' banner. He led Zaporizhzhia National University as rector from 2012 until stepping down in December 2024. After his resignation, he served as an advisor to the university's rector, Halyna Shylo.

Many people knew him as a professional leader, scholar, friend, and patriot of Ukraine. But for our family, he was a loving father-to me and my sister Yulia. A good husband to my mother Natalia, with whom he happily spent his entire married life since their university days. A brother. A kind grandfather to his two grandchildren.

Oleksandr Frolov, the deceased's son

The death of Mykola Frolov represents a significant loss for Ukrainian politics and education. His extensive experience in leadership roles and his contributions to the country's educational system left a lasting mark on the region and the nation as a whole. Public reaction to this event underscores the importance of honoring individuals who dedicated their lives to serving the state and community, highlighting their place in Ukraine's history. Frolov's passing also adds to a broader narrative of change within the Ukrainian parliament and society, especially amid the ongoing challenges the country faces.

It is worth noting that recent reports also announced the deaths of Oleksandr Riabeka, a lawmaker from the 5th and 6th convocations, and Viacheslav Bielskyi, a lawmaker from the 2nd convocation.

Frolov's passing adds to the list of notable figures in Ukrainian politics who have recently left us, including a prominent lawmaker and Chernobyl cleanup worker. His contributions to both education and public service highlight the profound impact such leaders have had on the nation’s development.