Comedian, Producer, Author, Screenwriter, Director and…a statesman. In a rather atypical career, Volodymyr Zelensky managed to rise to the post of the presidency of Ukraine. Here are 11 things to know about it:
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Volodymyr Oleksandrovikt Zelensky was born on January 25, 1978 in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine. His parents, Oleksandr Zelensky and Rimma Zelenska, are scholars of both Jewish and Russian descent.
Like his Russian rival, Vladimir Putin, Zelensky is also a law graduate.
Besides his studies, Volodymyr Zelensky began to perform in comedies. His performances will allow him to introduce himself to the audience.
In the 90s, he made his debut on Ukrainian television by participating in the KVN comedy game show. In 2003, he presented a variety show “Quartier du soir”.
Also in 2003, Zelensky founded the production company Studio Kvartal 95, which produces audio and video content in Russian and Ukrainian and organizes concerts.
Long before he was elected to the presidency of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky became the head of his native country in the TV series “Servant of the People”, which first aired in 2015. He plays a high school history teacher who becomes president in spite of himself. He also co-wrote the series.
Inspired by this series, he renamed the Decisive Change Party Servant of the People, which was founded in 2016. The party was registered in 2018. The Populist Party presents itself as an advocate for anti-corruption and direct democracy. In December 2018, he announced that he would be a candidate for the presidency of Ukraine.
In 2019, Volodymyr Zelensky was brought to the head of Ukraine, removing Petro Poroshenko from power. During his inauguration, he announced the dissolution of the House of Representatives and the holding of early legislative elections, during which he would win a majority of seats.
Volodymyr Zelensky has been married to Olena Kiachko, a television producer, since 2003. The couple have two children: Oleksandra, born in 2005, and Krillo, born in 2013.
In October 2019, the actor-turned-president held a press conference that lasted more than 12 hours, breaking the record for the longest press conference in history. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko set the previous record in a press conference that lasted more than seven hours, according to Ukrainian media.
In 2006, the comedian won the Ukrainian version of the competition “Dancing with the Stars”.
