Who is Volodymyr Zelensky? Many people have seen his face on billboards, TV commercials, and in newspapers, but what do we really know about this man who wants to be the next president of Ukraine? Here’s your guide to everything you need to know about the comedian turned politician who could very well become the next leader of Ukraine.
A Timeline of The President’s Life
Ukraine’s newly-elected president, Volodymyr Zelensky, has a fascinating life story. Let’s take a look at his most important moments throughout his journey in business and politics. He won over 75% of voters on April 21 with an intriguing personality. Find out why so many people believe he will be successful as president.
Learn about his family background from humble beginnings to gaining recognition for comedy shows. Understand how he was able to fight off competitors using political comedy that resonated with voters on both sides of Ukraine’s divide before becoming a successful actor in Hollywood movie roles.
A Look at the Career
One of Ukraine’s leading comedians, Zelensky started his career as a stand-up comic in 1995. His political satire became popular on television when he played multiple roles on KVN (Club of the Funny and Inventive), a game show modeled after NBC’s Saturday Night Live. It is here that he honed his comedic skills.
Interesting Facts About The President
Zelensky has been a vocal supporter of environmental protection, often mentioning it in his speeches. He’s also a self-proclaimed foe of corruption and believes that everyone—from citizens to government officials—should be on equal footing before all laws.
As such, he is working on a campaign promise to draft legislation giving amnesty to many Ukrainian activists who are currently facing up to 15 years in prison for participating in peaceful demonstrations.
Zelensky has been a vocal supporter of environmental protection, often mentioning it in his speeches. He’s also a self-proclaimed foe of corruption and believes that everyone—from citizens to government officials—should be on equal footing before all laws.
An Interesting Fact From His Childhood
Growing up, he worked at his parents’ local pharmacy. This hands-on experience gave him a great understanding of how health care systems operate as well as making him more empathetic to patients.
After graduating from acting school in Kyiv, he took up work on television before moving to Moscow to pursue film roles. While living there he also began writing screenplays. One of these screenplays was selected for a national competition that required it be filmed in 2017.
How Did He Come Up With His Nickname?
Originally known as a comedian, Zelensky wasn’t always known by his moniker, Volodymyr. After graduating from Kyiv Polytechnic Institute in 2002 with a degree in building construction engineering, he took up acting full-time under his birth name Vladimir Zelinsky.
However it was during one of his more serious roles that he began using Volodymyr as an alias to protect his real identity; in 2016 he told Ukrayinska Pravda that he didn’t want viewers to see him performing anything else outside of comedy. He later added Zelenskyi after people kept getting him confused with several other actors named Vladimir.
What Is The President’s Relationship With His Wife?
Volodymyr Zelensky has been married twice, though both unions have been dissolved. In his first marriage to Olena Zelnitska (b. 1968), he had two daughters — Kateryna (b. 1994) and Sofia (b. 1997). In 2014, they were divorced after their relationship came under much public scrutiny following their youngest daughter’s hospitalization due to an overdose of prescription drugs purchased without a prescription.
His second wife is Kateryna Chumachenko (b. 1985), who has also worked in comedy as an actress on stage with Korovayev’s Hryhoryiv Theatre Company in Kiev.
Personal Life And Achievements Of The President
President Volodymyr Zelensky was born on April 27, 1976 in Dnipropetrovsk. He studied history at Dnipropetrovsk State University. He also participated in theater productions of different kinds during his student years. After he finished school he started to work at a local TV station as an anchor on a popular TV show.
In 1998 Volodymyr Zelensky became a host of KVN, one of Ukraine’s most popular shows with 100+ episodes per season and up to 10 million viewers per episode! KVN is a very complicated game with two teams that perform an array of crazy tasks designed to produce laughter from its live audience.
Political Stance
New Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is a former comedian and TV star with no political experience. Despite his lack of public office experience, voters may have chosen him because he is not seen as part of Ukraine’s established political class that Ukrainians hold responsible for corruption. He’s also taken a hard stance against Russian aggression in eastern Ukraine.
He has vowed to increase social spending while battling widespread government corruption through civil service reform and making sure there are clear rules around conflict of interest. In addition, he has said he will initiate pension reform by putting money aside for those who retire and want a second income.
Net Worth
Volodymyr Zelensky has a net worth of $500 million US dollars. During his campaign, he did not receive any financial backing from oligarchs. Zelensky made most of his money as an actor and producer in Ukraine. His recent hit was Servant of the People based on a show that he created back in 2013 for TV channel 1+1.
It told about a teacher who gets elected as president after accidentally winning over citizens by promising to end corruption and improve education standards in Ukraine.
