Photo: Sean Gallup/GettyVolodymyr Zelenskyyis being recognizedfor hiscourageous wartime leadership.On Wednesday,Timemagazine named the Ukrainian president its2022 Person of the Yearalong with the spirit of Ukraine in honor of the nation’s refusal to back down in the face ofunprovoked Russian aggression.“Zelenskyy’s success as a wartime leader has relied on the fact that courage is contagious,“Timereporter Simon Shuster wrote about Zelenskyy’s actions in the early moments of the invasion when he famously refused to leave Kyiv, inspiring his people to fight and earning the status of a wartime hero around the world.“It spread through Ukraine’s political leadership in the first days of the invasion, as everyone realized the President had stuck around,” added Shuster.“His professional instincts derived from a lifetime as an actor on the stage meant he knew how to read a crowd and react to its moods and expectations,” Shuster continued. “Now his audience was the world. He was determined not to let them down.“In the piece, Shuster also noted that just two months after the first invasion, Zelenskyy, 44, told him that he had aged andchanged as a result of the war,describing it as “all this wisdom that I never wanted.“Explaining that Russia had been looking to capture Ukraine for the past century, Zelenskyy added that he intended to make the current invasion their final ever attempt - though he acknowledged it would take more time and sadly require lots more sacrifice.“Later we will be judged,” he toldTime. “I have not finished this great, important action for our country. Not yet,” he added.A former actor and comedian, Zelenskyy was elected president of Ukraine in April 2019. Prior to this, he starred in a popular sitcom calledServant of the Peoplewhere he played a character who accidentally goes on to win the presidency.Zelenskyy — who ran with no party affiliation and no clear team of expert advisers until days before the election — attended no in-person campaign events and held no rallies during the election, instead turning to social media to spread his message.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.RONALDO SCHEMIDT/AFP via GettyAfter appearing in a slew of YouTube and Instagram posts and making television appearances, he won the first-round of the election and later, a runoff for the presidency.Zelenskyy is married to Ukrainian architect andscreenwriter Olena Zelenska, with whom he shares two children: Oleksandra, 18, and Kyrylo, 9.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Speaking with PEOPLE in March, Zelenskyy’s former spokesperson Iuliia Mendel said the politician differs fromVladimir Putinas he alreadyhas the success that the Russian leader strives for.“If you don’t have success in your personal life, then how can you make a true success of your professional life?” she said.“This is the difference between Putin and Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy was already successful, famous, wealthy, happily married, and he brought that foundation of personal success and built on it to lead his country wisely.”
Photo: Sean Gallup/Getty
Volodymyr Zelenskyyis being recognizedfor hiscourageous wartime leadership.On Wednesday,Timemagazine named the Ukrainian president its2022 Person of the Yearalong with the spirit of Ukraine in honor of the nation’s refusal to back down in the face ofunprovoked Russian aggression.“Zelenskyy’s success as a wartime leader has relied on the fact that courage is contagious,“Timereporter Simon Shuster wrote about Zelenskyy’s actions in the early moments of the invasion when he famously refused to leave Kyiv, inspiring his people to fight and earning the status of a wartime hero around the world.“It spread through Ukraine’s political leadership in the first days of the invasion, as everyone realized the President had stuck around,” added Shuster.“His professional instincts derived from a lifetime as an actor on the stage meant he knew how to read a crowd and react to its moods and expectations,” Shuster continued. “Now his audience was the world. He was determined not to let them down.“In the piece, Shuster also noted that just two months after the first invasion, Zelenskyy, 44, told him that he had aged andchanged as a result of the war,describing it as “all this wisdom that I never wanted.“Explaining that Russia had been looking to capture Ukraine for the past century, Zelenskyy added that he intended to make the current invasion their final ever attempt - though he acknowledged it would take more time and sadly require lots more sacrifice.“Later we will be judged,” he toldTime. “I have not finished this great, important action for our country. Not yet,” he added.A former actor and comedian, Zelenskyy was elected president of Ukraine in April 2019. Prior to this, he starred in a popular sitcom calledServant of the Peoplewhere he played a character who accidentally goes on to win the presidency.Zelenskyy — who ran with no party affiliation and no clear team of expert advisers until days before the election — attended no in-person campaign events and held no rallies during the election, instead turning to social media to spread his message.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.RONALDO SCHEMIDT/AFP via GettyAfter appearing in a slew of YouTube and Instagram posts and making television appearances, he won the first-round of the election and later, a runoff for the presidency.Zelenskyy is married to Ukrainian architect andscreenwriter Olena Zelenska, with whom he shares two children: Oleksandra, 18, and Kyrylo, 9.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Speaking with PEOPLE in March, Zelenskyy’s former spokesperson Iuliia Mendel said the politician differs fromVladimir Putinas he alreadyhas the success that the Russian leader strives for.“If you don’t have success in your personal life, then how can you make a true success of your professional life?” she said.“This is the difference between Putin and Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy was already successful, famous, wealthy, happily married, and he brought that foundation of personal success and built on it to lead his country wisely.”
Volodymyr Zelenskyyis being recognizedfor hiscourageous wartime leadership.
On Wednesday,Timemagazine named the Ukrainian president its2022 Person of the Yearalong with the spirit of Ukraine in honor of the nation’s refusal to back down in the face ofunprovoked Russian aggression.
“Zelenskyy’s success as a wartime leader has relied on the fact that courage is contagious,“Timereporter Simon Shuster wrote about Zelenskyy’s actions in the early moments of the invasion when he famously refused to leave Kyiv, inspiring his people to fight and earning the status of a wartime hero around the world.
“It spread through Ukraine’s political leadership in the first days of the invasion, as everyone realized the President had stuck around,” added Shuster.
“His professional instincts derived from a lifetime as an actor on the stage meant he knew how to read a crowd and react to its moods and expectations,” Shuster continued. “Now his audience was the world. He was determined not to let them down.”
In the piece, Shuster also noted that just two months after the first invasion, Zelenskyy, 44, told him that he had aged andchanged as a result of the war,describing it as “all this wisdom that I never wanted.”
Explaining that Russia had been looking to capture Ukraine for the past century, Zelenskyy added that he intended to make the current invasion their final ever attempt - though he acknowledged it would take more time and sadly require lots more sacrifice.
“Later we will be judged,” he toldTime. “I have not finished this great, important action for our country. Not yet,” he added.
A former actor and comedian, Zelenskyy was elected president of Ukraine in April 2019. Prior to this, he starred in a popular sitcom calledServant of the Peoplewhere he played a character who accidentally goes on to win the presidency.
Zelenskyy — who ran with no party affiliation and no clear team of expert advisers until days before the election — attended no in-person campaign events and held no rallies during the election, instead turning to social media to spread his message.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.RONALDO SCHEMIDT/AFP via Getty
After appearing in a slew of YouTube and Instagram posts and making television appearances, he won the first-round of the election and later, a runoff for the presidency.
Zelenskyy is married to Ukrainian architect andscreenwriter Olena Zelenska, with whom he shares two children: Oleksandra, 18, and Kyrylo, 9.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Speaking with PEOPLE in March, Zelenskyy’s former spokesperson Iuliia Mendel said the politician differs fromVladimir Putinas he alreadyhas the success that the Russian leader strives for.
“If you don’t have success in your personal life, then how can you make a true success of your professional life?” she said.
“This is the difference between Putin and Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy was already successful, famous, wealthy, happily married, and he brought that foundation of personal success and built on it to lead his country wisely.”
source: people.com
