Volodymyr Zelensky is a former Ukrainian comedian who became internationally known for being elected president of Ukraine in the election that took place in that country in 2019. Zelensky's victory was understood as a vote of protest on the part of Ukrainian society, outraged by the economic crisis affecting their country and by the corruption in traditional politics.
Zelensky had a career as a comedian and actor, working in the entertainment field. He became a figure of great fame in Ukraine after starring in a series called Servant of the People, in which a history professor outraged by corruption in Ukraine becomes president. In 2022, Zelensky saw his country invaded by Russia on account of Ukraine's rapprochement with the nato.
See too: Vladimir Putin — the president of Russia who coordinated the 2022 invasion of Ukraine
Summary about Volodymyr Zelensky
Zelensky was born in Kryvy Rih, a Ukrainian city that was part of the Soviet Union.
He comes from a Jewish family, and his first language is Russian.
He became a comedian in his youth and made his career ahead of Kvartal 95.
He starred in a series called Servant of the People and achieved great success in Ukraine.
He decided to run as a candidate for the presidency of Ukraine and was elected in the second round with more than 70% of the votes.
Do not stop now... There's more after the ad ;)
Origins of Volodymyr Zelensky
Volodymir Olexandrovich Zelensky he was born in January 25, 1978 in the city of Kryvy Rih,which was part of the Soviet Union, but since 1991 it belongs to Ukraine. The city where Zelensky was born is part of the Dnipropetrovsk oblast, located in south-central Ukraine. Born in this region of Dnipropetrovsk, Zelensky grew up as a Russian speaker and learned Ukrainian throughout his life.
Zelensky's father is Oleksandr Zelensky, a professor at a university in Kryvy Rih, while his mother Rymma Zelenska was an engineer. Zelensky was born in a family of Jewish origin. During part of his childhood, Zelensky lived in Mongolia, because of his father's work, but after four years he returned to Ukraine.
Volodymyr Zelensky's professional career
Zelensky, andm 1995, enrolled at the law course, which was part of the Kiev National University of Economics. He graduated in 2000, but never acted in the field because already during the course he was involved with theater and comedy groups.
This involvement gained strength when he founded The Kvartal 95, a Kryvy Rih's Comedy Group. Kvartal 95 gained a lot of notoriety in Ukraine, starting to gain space on Ukrainian television and performing several shows across the country.
In addition to his acting as a comedian, Zelenksy made a career as a film actor, participating in some Russian and Ukrainian film productions. He also served as a television producer, but became a big name in Ukraine after produced and acted in a television seriesivthe call of Servant of the People.
This series was produced by Kvartal 95, which has become a major producer of entertainment programs and a Ukrainian television network. Servant of the People was released in 2015, and its plot features a history teacher named Vasili Goloborodko, who expresses great dissatisfaction with the situation in Ukrainian politics, particularly with regard to the issue of strong corruption in politics from the country.
A speech by this professor goes viral in Ukraine after being posted on the internet. In the speech, he vigorously criticizes corruption. This makes Goloborodko nationally known and allows him to be elected President of Ukraine. This production aired in an agitated political context in Ukraine..
At the turn of 2013 to 2014, popular protests spread across the country against Viktor Yanukovych, the Ukrainian president who broke off negotiations with the European Union to approach Russia. His move came after Russia took a more hostile stance towards Ukraine's rapprochement with the West.
The protests were violently suppressed by the Yanukovich government, which increased popular dissatisfaction and resulted in the president's ouster. The Ukrainian command was later assumed by Petro Poroshenko, but his government was low in popularity and was marred by corruption scandals and an economic crisis.
Learn more: George W. Bush — the President of the United States during the 9/11 attacks
Volodymyr Zelensky as Presidential Candidate
The series presented by Zelenksy was a great success. In 2018, the company that produced the series decided to cast Zelensky as a candidate à presidency of Ukraine in the election that would take place in 2019. As part of this initiative, Kvartal 95 registered a new political party, the Servant of the People (Sluha Narodu), the same name as the series that Zelensky starred in.
The strategy adopted by Volodymyr Zelensky was to attackThethe traditional politicians, announcing that he would restore the confidence of the Ukrainian population in policy, as he would bring significant changes to the way traditional government functioned in his country. It is noteworthy that his election campaign was mostly carried out through social networks.
He was criticized for avoiding the press while running for president. During his campaign, Zelensky was also criticized for his closeness to Ihor Kolomoisky, a Ukrainian billionaire. who had been an ally of Petro Poroshenko and was known for owning the channel that aired the series in which Zelensky acted. Furthermore, Kolomoisky was charged with financial crimes in Ukraine. The little contact he had with the press kept him from being questioned about it.
Quickly, Zelensky took the lead in opinion polls in Ukraine. When the first round was held, the result was that Volodymyr Zelensky got 30.24% of the votes, while then-President Petro Poroshenko got only 15.95%. In the second round, Zelensky's victory was overwhelming. The result of the second round was as follows:
Volodymyr Zelensky: 73,22%
Petro Poroshenko: 24,45%
Volodymyr Zelensky had almost three times as many votes as his opponent and was elected with a government program with few details and without being questioned by the press. He too participated in only one presidential debate and had no experience in politics. Political analysts saw Zelensky's election as a clear demonstration of popular dissatisfaction with the political situation in their country.
Government of Volodymyr Zelensky
One of Ukraine's most sensitive issues when Zelensky took over was his country's relations with Russia over the control of Crimea and for the Russian role in the Donbass separatist movements.
Zelensky advocated an end to Russian interference in Donbass and the return of Crimea to Ukraine, which had been annexed by Russia in 2014, generating conflicts in the region, one of the factors that led to the tension between Russia and Ukraine.
The president initially decided to dissolution of the Ukrainian parliament, in order to anticipate the convening of parliamentary elections. The purpose of this was to allow Zelensky to govern with a parliamentary majority. This strategy was a success, as the president's party took more than half of the seats in Parliament.
One of the most controversial actions of his presidency occurred during a negotiation with Donald Trump, president of the U.S in 2019. In this ocasion, Trump pressured the Ukrainian government to investigate Hunter Biden, son of Joe Biden, during the time he worked for an energy company in Ukraine.
The investigation would have been motivated by the fact that Joe Biden announced that he would run for president of the US in the 2020 election. Trump wanted the Ukrainian government to investigate Biden's son in exchange for US military aid to Ukraine. The consequence of the disclosure of this request was the establishment of a process of impeachment against Trump.
In addition, Zelensky was questioned for colluding with the Azov Battalion, a militia that fought pro-Russian separatists in Donbass and is recognized for defending neo-nazi ideals. Criticism of Zelensky was reinforced by the fact that the Azov Battalion was linked to the Ukrainian army and also by the fact that the president, of Jewish origin, is tolerant of neo-Nazis.
Read too:How was Donald Trump's administration?
→ Volodymyr Zelensky and the war between Russia and Ukraine
In 2022, Zelensky's government entered a new phase, as your country was invaded by Russia by cause Ukraine's rapprochement with to nato,North Atlantic Treaty Organization. With the invasion of Ukraine, the main cities of the country, including the capital Kiev, began to be attacked by the Russians.
After the attacks, Zelensky intensified his campaign to bring Ukraine closer to the European Union and started the Ukrainian government's resistance against the Russians. He refused to leave Ukraine and released videos encouraging the population to resist in any way to the Russian occupation.
Personal life of Volodymyr Zelensky
Volodymyr Zelensky is married since 2003 with Olena Kiyashko, an architect. He and his wife had two children, the eldest being Oleksandra, born in 2004. The couple's other child is Kyrylo, born in 2013.
image credits
[1] Sergei Chuzavkov / shutterstock
[2] Drop of Light / shutterstock
By Daniel Neves Silva
History teacher
