Roman Vintoniv
UkraineBiography of Roman Vintoniv
Roman Vintoniv, also known by his comedic character Michael Shchur, is a Ukrainian television journalist, actor, screenwriter, and musician.
Early Life and Education
Roman Vintoniv was born in Kazakhstan and grew up in the city of Dolyna in the Ivano-Frankivsk region of Ukraine. While preparing to become an economist by the end of high school, he decided to pursue a degree in journalism at the Ivan Franko Lviv State University. He completed his studies at the department of television and radio broadcasting. During his academic years, he interned at the "E" newspaper in Khmelnytskyi and worked at the Lux TV channel in Lviv. He was later invited to work at a television studio and spent about a year at the K1 channel.
Journalism Career
In January 2007, Vintoniv started working as a journalist at the Inter TV channel and then joined LLC "National Information Systems" (NIS) in May 2007. NIS produced news for Inter TV channel. He became a reporter for the program "Podrobnosti Nedeli" (Details of the Week). However, after changes in NIS's management and editorial policies, as well as the dismissal of the head of the international department, Natalia Humeniuk, Vintoniv left the company on December 11, 2009. From January 15, 2010, he worked as a journalist for the "Ukrainian Service BBC."
From June 2010, Vintoniv held the position of chief editor of the information service at the ZIK TV channel. In September, he also became the host of the program "Vzglyad na Nedelyu" (A Look at the Week). During this time, he was responsible for the launch and production of programs such as "Obzor Dnya" (Review of the Day), weather forecasts, and "Na Samom Dele Eto Ser'ezno" (In Fact, It's Serious). The latter program combined hidden camera elements, humor, and social issues. He left the channel in November 2010.
In February 2012, Vintoniv became the senior editor of the talk show "Govorit Ukraina" (Ukraine Speaks) at the Ukraine TV channel. During February and March of the same year, he joined the investigative journalism department of the "1+1" channel, moving from the "Zavtrak s 1+1" (Breakfast with 1+1) show. However, his first story for the "Den'gi" (Money) program did not air. The chief editor of the department, Maxim Sukhenko, explained that Vintoniv's humorous style, developed during his time at "Zavtrak s 1+1," did not fit the format of the program.
Music Career
In his free time, Roman Vintoniv writes music. He was a member of the Lviv-based band "Tracer" and the Kyiv-based group "Extra! Extra!" The song "Gitarnyy Perebor" (Guitar Strum), performed by Michael Shchur, gained fame during the Euromaidan protests.
Personal Life
Roman Vintoniv is married to journalist Anna Babynets. They welcomed their daughter, Ekaterina, on January 31, 2015.
