Before 24th February 2022, I would not have been able to tell you much about Ukraine’s President Volodymr Zelenskyy. But as Russia’s invasion continues, and Ukraine and the war has been pushed into the limelight and captivated the world, more and more information has been released about the continuously praised Ukrainian President. He has been dubbed the ‘hero’ and courageous leader fighting back against Russia’s inhumane advances into this peaceful country, with little to no political background.
Zelenskyy was born to Jewish parents in Kryvyi Rih in 1978, which was at the time in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic and therefore grew up speaking Russian. He gained a law degree from the Kryvyi Rih Institute of Economics but decided to pursue comedy, and then into acting, rather than a legal career. Starring in numerous films dubbed in both Russian and Ukrainian from 2005-2017, he also recorded the voice over for Paddington Bear in the Ukrainian version of Paddington and Paddington 2.
In 2006, he also won the Ukrainian version of ‘Dancing with the Stars’.
On 31st December 2018, Zelenskyy announced his candidacy for Presidency and was elected on 21st April 2019 with promises of eradicating corruption, improving relations between the Ukrainian-speaking and Russian-speaking parts of the country and ending the protracted conflict with Russia through dialogue with Putin.
He is also a devoted father to his two children, Oleksandra and Kyrylo, and husband to his wife, Olena whom he went to school with.
Forward to the current crisis, and Zelenskyy has been President for less than three years and is now dealing with the worst attack on European soil since the Second World War. He has gained worldwide support for his resilience towards the Russian invasion, and turning down Western offers to leave Kyiv for safety and to continue to fight for his country. He has become one of the first leaders to use social media to build morale, with his video diaries becoming viral on a daily basis, sharing messages of courage and strength from the Ukrainian people and speaking in Russian to Russians directly to stop the plight of Putin. He has also gained worldwide backing from numerous political leaders from the likes of America, Israel, Australia, most of Europe, Japan and South Korea.
As the Russian-Ukrainian war continues and with unfortunately no imminent end in sight, the unitedness of the Ukrainian people is highlighted through its leadership by one man with little experience in a political setting, let alone a full-scale war. There is no doubt that Volodymyr Zelenskyy will go down in the history books as one of the most influential, resilient and heroic characters, not only in Ukrainian history, but the history of the West and beyond. He will hopefully be the face of the new chapter in the peaceful narrative of Ukraine, demonstrating the togetherness and sovereignty of its people. This will show the rest of the world the ability of Ukraine, and he will be present to see the end of this war and moving forward into a conflict-free future.