Gagik Tsarukyan

Gagik Tsarukyan () is a former athlete and politician. Also he was elected as a delegate in 2018. He is seen as the most influential of Armenia's government-connected oligarchs, and a key business partner of former Armenian President Robert Kocharyan.
Tsarukyan is the founder and former leader of the Prosperous Armenia political party, with it gaining 15.1% of the vote in the 2007 Armenian parliamentary election. In the ensuing 2012 Armenian parliamentary election, his party increased its share to 19.1% of the popular vote. Announcing his departure from politics for a hiatus in February 2015, he announced his return to politics in January 2017, forming the parliamentary Tsarukyan Alliance, an electoral Alliance made up of Prosperous Armenia, the Alliance party and the Mission party. During the 2017 Armenian parliamentary election, the Tsarukyan Alliance obtained 27.35% of the popular vote, becoming the second biggest parliamentary bloc in the Armenian Parliament with 31 MPs in the 105-member house of representatives, after the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (with 49.17% of the popular vote and 58 MPs). Year latter during the 2018 Armenian parliamentary election, the Prosperous Armenia obtained 8.26% of the popular vote coming again second.

An avid sportsman, he practiced boxing, wrestling and arm wrestling, becoming world champion in arm-wrestling in 1996 and winning the European championship in 1998. Tsarukyan is also the president of Armenia's National Olympic Committee. (was reelected on December 4, 2008).

Biography

Childhood
Tsarukyan studied at Arinj village school. He met his future wife Javahir Tsarukyan in Arinj school, who was also studying at that same school. Tsarukyan was distinguished with physical abilities which influenced his higher education choices.

Adulthood
Tsarukyan graduated from Armenian State Institute of Physical Culture in 1989. He was involved in sports, mainly boxing, wrestling and arm wrestling. Gagik Tsarukyan is a world champion in arm-wrestling, winning a world championship in 1996 and the European championship in 1998.

Since 1989 Tsarukyan has been engaged in entrepreneurship. In 1997 he founded and presided Multi Group Concern group of companies which now includes more than 30 enterprises: Kotayk Brewery in Abovyan, Yerevan Chemical Pharmaceutical Company, "Mek" Network of Furniture Stores, Yerevan Ararat Brandy-Wine-Vodka Factory, etc. Tsarukyan is accused of depriving ownership rights of foreign investors in Yerevan Ararat Brandy-Wine-Vodka Factory.

Since 2003, Tsarukyan has been a RA National Assembly deputy. On May 25, 2003 he was elected as a deputy in the National Assembly of Armenia from District 42 after running unopposed, later becoming a member of the National Assembly's Standing Committee on Defense, National Security and Internal Affairs; he was not a member of a parliamentary faction during this term. In late 2005 he founded the Prosperous Armenia Party. During the first congress of Prosperous Armenia Party, on April 30, 2004, Tsarukyan was elected as its president. During the fourth congress of the party, on February 12, 2009, Tsarukyan was re-elected as the party president. He was re-elected to the National Assembly in the May 2007 parliamentary election from District 28 as a Prosperous Armenia candidate. Following this election he became head of the Prosperous Armenia parliamentary faction and a member of the Committee on the Protection of Human Rights and Public Affairs in June 2007.

Personal life

Family
Gagik Tsarukyan's wife is Javahir Tsarukyan. They have 6 children.

Roza, Gayane and Emma Tsarukyans have graduated from Anania Shirakatsy Lyceum with honors. Roza and Emma are studying at Yerevan State Medical University. Gayane Tsarukyan has graduated from Yerevan State University Faculty of Law with honors.

Anahit and  are studying at Anania Shirakatsy Lyceum.

Hovhannes, the youngest member of the family, will go to school next year.

Parents 
Gagik Tsarukyan was born to Nikolay and Roza Tsarukyan. Nikolay Tsarukyan, father of the family, is an electrical engineer by profession now is engaged in social activities.  Roza Tsarukyan, Gagik Tsarukyan's mother, is an accountant now is managing research-and-production center of "Multi Agro" LLC and at the same time is the honorable chairman of Prosperous Armenia Party Women council.

Career

Business interests
Gagik Tsarukyan started his business activities in the 1980s.  During 1990-1992 he was the executive director of "Armenia" company and in 1992 he was involved in animal husbandry activities, establishing a dairy production enterprise in Arinj village near Abovyan. In 1995, Gagik founded and presided over Multi Group Concern, which now includes Kotayk Brewery  in Abovyan, Yerevan Chemical Pharmaceutical Company, "Mek"  Network of Furniture Stores, Yerevan Ararat Brandy-Wine-Vodka Factory, "Ararat"  cement Factory,  "Aviaservice" JSC, "Multi Stone" stone Processing Company,  "Multi Rest  House" Company, "Global Motors" CJSC, "Multi City House" Company and other companies and organizations.

In 2002, the Yerevan Ararat Brandy Factory was acquired by the Multi Group Concern, which invested around US$50 million-equivalent Armenian drams for the modernization and constructional works, in obtainment of new line of bottling and oak barrels.

Gagik Tsarukyan and sports

Sports achievements 
Tsarukyan took part in sports since his school years. He went for boxing, wrestling and arm wrestling. Tsarukyan was graduated from the Armenian State Institute of Physical Culture in 1989, as a teacher of physical education and sports as well as a wrestling coach. Tsarukyan  had achievements in sports, in 1996 he became world champion in arm-wrestling, and in 1998 he achieved the title of the champion of Europe.

Armenian Olympic Committee
Tsarukyan is the current president of the Armenian Olympic Committee, since 2005. Armenian athletes under the leadership of Gagik Tsarukyan showed an unprecedented result during 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, returning with 6 bronze medals.

On December 4, 2008 Gagik Tsarukyan was unanimously reelected as the Armenian Olympic Committee president by the general assembly of the committee.

Political Activity
Gagik Tsarukyan has been engaged in politics since 2000-s. Three years later during third convocation of National Assembly elections which took place on May 25, 2003 Gagik Tsarukyan was elected as NA deputy from 42 electoral district. During NA third convocation years Gagik Tsarukyan acted as independent deputy, was not represented in any faction or any deputy group. From 2003 till 2007 Gagik Tsarukyan was the member of RA NA Defense, National security and Interior affairs standing committee.

Prosperous Armenia Party establishment
Tsarukyan established Prosperous Armenia Party in 2004. That same year, during the party's first congress which took place on 30 April, Gagik Tsarukyan was elected as the president of the Party. As a result of the National Assembly elections of 12 May 2007, Prosperous Armenia Party received 204 443 votes receiving 25 mandates in NA. During the fourth congress of Prosperous Armenia Party which took place on February 12, 2009, Tsarukyan was reelected as its president. As a result of Prosperous Armenia Party fourth congress 93 member PAP political council was elected. Gagik Tsarukyan is the chairman of newly elected PAP Political council.

Gagik Tsarukyan–the chairman of NA Prosperous Armenia Party faction 
Prosperous Armenia Party has 27 deputies in Armenia's National Assembly and Prosperous Armenia faction led by Gagik Tsarukyan, is the second in NA by its number of representatives.  
There are 25 members in "Prosperous Armenia" faction. Deputies Martun Grigoryan and Rustam Gasparyan are also the members of Prosperous Armenia Party.

Multi Group Concern
Tsarukian owns several businesses and rose to prominence in the late 1990s as a minority shareholder in a French-owned brewery in Abovyan. His business holdings have since expanded, aided by his close ties with then President Robert Kocharian.

Tsarukyn's Multi Group Concern holding company founded in 1995, currently includes more than 40 large and small businesses. In March 2006, Tsarukyan sold his 29% share in the Kotayk Brewery to French beer magnate Castel Group for about US$4 million. In 2011, Tsarukyan acquired the Kotayk Brewery to become the sole owner of the factory.

Businesses that are part of the Multi Group conglomerate include:
Yerevan Chemical-Pharmaceutical Firm OJSC, founded in 1967, part of Multi Group since 1995, Yerevan, Armenia.
Avia Service CJSC (travel services), founded in 1995, part of Multi Group since 1997, Yerevan, Armenia.
Euromotors CJSC (BMW importers in Armenia), founded in 1998.
Technalyumin LLC (furniture manufacturers), founded in 1998, Abovyan, Armenia.
Yerevan Ararat Brandy-Wine-Vodka Factory OJSC, founded in 1877, part of Multi Group since 2002, Yerevan, Armenia.
Ararat Cement CJSC, founded in 1927, part of Multi Group since 2002, Ararat, Armenia.
Multi Group Stone CJSC, founded in 2002, Abovyan, Armenia.
Multi Gas LLC (suppliers of compressed natural gas across Armenia), founded in 2002.
Multi Leon LLC (suppliers of liquefied compressed natural gas across Armenia), founded in 2000, part of Multi Group since 2003.
Multi Agro Beekeeping Scientific Production Center, founded in 2003, Arinj, Armenia.
Multi Rest House hotel complex, opened in 2007, Tsaghkadzor, Armenia.
Magas Invest CJSC, (official representative of Hyundai in Armenia) opened in 2006.
Multi City House CJSC, founded in 2007, Yerevan, Armenia.
Global Motors CJSC, (official representative of Lada in Armenia), founded in 2008.
Multi Motors LLC, (official representative of Opel and GAZ in Armenia), founded in 2008.
Shustov Trade House CJSC (alcoholic beverage retailers), founded in 2008, Yerevan, Armenia.
Bellezza LLC (clothing importers), founded in 2008, Yerevan, Armenia.
"AR-BE" Armenian-Belarusian Trading House LLC, founded in 2010, Yerevan, Armenia.
Kotayk Brewery LLC, founded in 1974, part of Multi Group since 2011, Abovyan, Armenia.
Onira Club LLC (Pharaon leisure and entertainment complex), opened in 2013, Yerevan-Abovyan highway, Armenia.
Olympavan LLC (Olympic training center), opened in 2013, Yerevan, Armenia.
Multi Grand Hotel, opened in 2014, Yerevan-Abovyan highway, Armenia.
Firma New LLC ("Arinj Mall" shopping center), opened in 2015, Arinj, Armenia.
Multi Wellness Center sports complex, opened in 2016, Yerevan, Armenia.

Multi Group are also the owners of the Gorna Bania Water Bottling Company Ltd. based in Sofia, Bulgaria, founded in 1997.

Low income reporting and tax payments
Despite maintaining an extravagant lifestyle, Tsarukyan's companies post only modest revenues. His Ararat Cement factory —officially the most profitable of his businesses— occupies only the 45th place in the Armenian Statistical Service's annual ranking of tax payers, with tax contributions totaling 1.3 billion drams in 2007 (about US$3.8 million in 2007). In contrast, another smaller Ararat-based plant (which smelts gold ore) paid more taxes despite standing idle during much of 2007 due to a change of ownership.

Despite being lucrative, the vast majority of Tsarukyan's Multi Group businesses were not included in the list of the country's leading corporate taxpayers released by the Armenian government in early 2005.

Awards and medals
In 2002 Tsarukyan was awarded with St. Grigor Lousavorich order by the Supreme Patriarch of all Armenians Garegin II highly evaluating Mr. Tsarukyan's activity towards church construction.

In 2003 upon the decree determined by the president of Armenia Robert Kocharyan the president of Armenian National Olympic Committee Gagik Tsarukyan, who had his great input in the development of RA sports, was honored with Movses Khorenatsi medal.

On September 17, 2008 upon RA president Serzh Sargsyan decree, Tsarukyan was honored with "Services provided to the motherland" first rank medal for the great input he had in the development of RA sports and physical education.

On May 11, 2009 Tsarukyan was awarded with "European of the Year" by the International European movement.

On September 12, 2009 European Judo Federation honored NOCA president Gagik Tsarukyan with gold medal.

References

 Tsarukyan accused of depriving German firm from its ownership in Yerevan Ararat Wine Factory 
 Stockholders take Gagik Tsarukyan´s Yerevan Ararat Wine Factory to court
 Ostinvestor vs Yerevan Ararat Wine Factory Trial
 Due to Tsarukyan, German firm considers Armenia as unsafe place for investments
Will Tsarukyan Pay German Firm?

Video Materials 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 GAGIK TSARUKYAN "Animal Cruelty"

External links

 Information about Gagik Tsarukyan and his family in Prosperous Armenia Party website
 Biographical information about Gagik Tsarukyan in RA National Assembly website
 Video materials about the Gagik Tsarukyan's activities in Youtube

Category:1956 births
Category:Armenian male sport wrestlers
Category:Armenian State Institute of Physical Culture alumni
Category:Living people
Category:Prosperous Armenia politicians
Category:People from Kotayk Province