Bugayev was born on 12 (25) November 1919 in Odinovka in the Ekaterinoslav (Dnipro) region. In 1936, Bugaev served in the Navy, where
he participated in artisitic events. He also sang
in the Singing and Dancing Ensemble of the Black Sea Fleet.
He studied voice from 1943 to 1946 at the Leningrad conservatory with Sofija Akimova-Ershova (1887–1972).
Akimova-Ershova
Bugaev became a soloist
of the Kirov/Mariinskij in 1946 and made his debut as Vladimir (Prince Igor). He sang there until the mid-1960s.
Among his roles were;
Gvidon, Sinodal, Alfredo, Duca, Lenskij, Dubrovskij, Almaviva, Faust,
Riccardo, Shujskij, Bomelij.
Bugaev went on tour to Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Holland.
After 1965, Bugaev taught singing at the conservatory in Leningrad, where he died on 22 April 1980.
He recorded very little.
