Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Biography

Zelenskyy's biography reads like a screenplay he once acted in: a comedian plays a president, then becomes one, then leads a nation under invasion. The media fluency of his Kvartal 95 years — nightly selfie videos, addresses to parliaments in their own historical idioms — turned communication into a weapon of war.

Ukrainian politician and former actor-comedian who became president in 2019 and led his country through full-scale war.

Known for

Leading Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022.

Notable works & defining projects

• Servant of the People (TV series)
• Kvartal 95 studio
• Wartime addresses to world parliaments

Notable achievements

• Elected president of Ukraine in 2019 with about 73% of the runoff vote
• Named Time Person of the Year in 2022, with 'the spirit of Ukraine'
• Rose to prominence acting in and producing the TV series Servant of the People

Timeline

1. 2015Starred as an accidental president in TV's Servant of the People — then ran for the real job
2. 2019Elected president with about 73% of the runoff vote
3. 2022Refused evacuation offers after Russia's invasion, becoming the global face of Ukrainian resistance

Did you know?

• He trained in law at Kyiv National Economic University but built his career in comedy instead
• He co-founded the Kvartal 95 production studio, named after his home neighbourhood in Kryvyi Rih