Volodymyr Zelensky
Born 1978 · Age 47
Ukrainian politician and former entertainer; co‑founder of Studio Kvartal 95; elected President of Ukraine in 2019 and serving during the full‑scale Russian invasion since 2022.
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Life & Career Timeline
Born in Kryvyi Rih, Ukrainian SSR
Born to Jewish parents Oleksandr (computer science professor) and Rymma Zelenska in Kryvyi Rih.
Family relocation to Erdenet, Mongolia (early childhood)
Lived for about four years in Erdenet while his father worked on building a copper mine; returned to Kryvyi Rih before elementary school.
Passed TOEFL and offered grant to study in Israel (declined)
At 16 he took the TOEFL, received an education grant to study in Israel, but his father did not allow him to go.
Entered Kryvyi Rih Institute of Economics (law)
Began law studies at the Kryvyi Rih campus of Kyiv National Economic University.
Joined KVN comedy competition
Joined local KVN team and was invited to the united Ukrainian team 'Zaporizhzhia-Kryvyi Rih-Transit'.
Created and headed Kvartal 95 team
Founded the Kvartal 95 comedy troupe (named after his neighbourhood in Kryvyi Rih).
Won KVN Major League with team
Team performing in KVN's Major League won the competition in 1997.
Graduated with law degree
Received an LLB from Kryvyi Rih Institute of Economics (Kyiv National Economic University campus); did not practise law.
Left KVN; co‑founded Studio Kvartal 95 (production company)
Kvartal 95 left KVN and Zelenskyy cofounded Studio Kvartal 95 to produce comedy and TV content.
Kvartal 95 began producing for 1+1 (later Inter) TV
Kvartal 95 started producing TV shows; in 2005 the team moved to the channel Inter.
Starred in feature film Love in the Big City
Played a leading role in the romantic comedy; later starred in sequels.
Appointed board member and general producer of Inter (2010–2012)
Served on the board and as general producer of the TV channel Inter.
Artistic director of Kvartal 95; co‑hosts Teletriumph Awards
Served as artistic director until 2011; co‑presented the Teletriumph national TV awards in 2016 (later appearance noted).
Left Inter; entered co‑production deal with 1+1
Left Inter in 2012 and Kvartal 95 signed a joint production agreement with 1+1 (owned by Ihor Kolomoisky).
Acted in Rzhevsky Versus Napoleon and 8 First Dates
Continued film career with prominent roles; 8 First Dates became a notable romantic comedy credit.
Stopped working in Russia; Kvartal 95 closed Moscow office
After Russia's annexation of Crimea, Zelenskyy shut business ties with Russia and ceased Russian work by end of 2014.
Kvartal 95 donated to Ukrainian army
Reported donation of ₴1,000,000 (1 million hryvnia) to the Ukrainian army after the start of the Russo‑Ukrainian War.
Premiere of TV series Servant of the People
Series premiered on 1+1 with Zelenskyy starring as a teacher who becomes president; huge popular success (2015–2019).
Co‑presented Teletriumph Awards
As artistic director of Kvartal 95, co‑presented the national television awards (Teletriumph 2016).
Claimed offer of US$100 million from Yanukovych (public revelation)
Zelenskyy later said that former president Yanukovych had offered him US$100 million for political control of Kvartal 95 programming; Zelenskyy refused (revelation made in 2018).
Registered Servant of the People political party
Employees of Kvartal 95 officially registered a political party named Servant of the People (same name as his TV show).
Announced presidential candidacy on national TV
On New Year's Eve (31 Dec 2018) Zelenskyy announced his candidacy on 1+1, preempting incumbent Poroshenko's address.
First round of presidential election — plurality (≈30%)
Achieved plurality with about 30% of the vote in the first round of the 2019 presidential election.
Presidential debates at Olimpiyskiy Stadium
Large televised debate versus Petro Poroshenko held at Kyiv's Olympic Stadium; event staged as a show.
Elected President of Ukraine (second round landslide)
Won the second round with 73.23% of the vote against incumbent Petro Poroshenko—the largest landslide in Ukrainian presidential history.
Inaugurated as 6th President of Ukraine
Sworn in on 20 May 2019; inaugural address included dissolution of parliament and call for snap parliamentary elections.
Restored Mikheil Saakashvili's Ukrainian citizenship
Signed a decree restoring the former Georgian President's Ukrainian citizenship (28 May 2019).
Cancelled Kyiv Independence Day parade
Ordered cancellation of the annual parade for cost reasons and proposed redirecting funds to veterans (8 July 2019).
Servant of the People party wins snap parliamentary election
Party won a single‑party majority with 254 out of 450 seats (first absolute majority in modern Ukraine); party‑list vote ~43%.
Phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump
Trump discussed alleged investigations (leading to the US impeachment inquiry); later controversy over withheld US military aid.
Parliament strips MPs of legal immunity
On 3 September 2019 the Verkhovna Rada passed a bill removing legal immunity for lawmakers — a key campaign promise.
US military aid released to Ukraine
Nearly $400 million in US military assistance that had been previously held was released on 11 Sept 2019.
US House impeachment inquiry opened
Impeachment inquiry into Trump over the July call with Zelenskyy was opened; related fallout affected US‑Ukraine relations.
Managed Ukraine's COVID‑19 response and economic downturn
Oversaw national response to the pandemic and associated recession; clash with regional mayors over restrictions affected local politics.
Cut short Oman trip after Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 crash
Returned early from an undisclosed trip to Oman following the UIA flight shootdown over Iran on 8 Jan 2020.
Dismissed Andriy Bohdan; appointed Andriy Yermak as Presidential Administration head
On 11 Feb 2020 Zelenskyy dismissed Bohdan and named Yermak as head of the Presidential Administration.
Prime minister Oleksiy Honcharuk resigns; Denys Shmyhal appointed
Honcharuk resigned after leaked audio; Denys Shmyhal approved as new prime minister on 4 March 2020.
Parliament passes updated referendum law
In January 2021 the Verkhovna Rada passed a bill updating and reforming referendum legislation (campaign promise).
Signed Decree 117/2021 — Crimea de‑occupation strategy
Approved a national strategy for the de‑occupation and reintegration of Crimea and Sevastopol.
Submitted bill to create public register of oligarchs
Presented bill banning oligarchs from political financing and privatizations; intended to curb oligarch influence.
Oligarch registry bill passed into law
Bill creating a public registry of oligarchs was enacted in September 2021.
First White House visit; meets President Joe Biden
Visited the U.S.; met President Biden, US cabinet officials, met tech CEOs and spoke at Stanford University (Sept 2021).
Pandora Papers reveal offshore network
October 2021 disclosures showed Zelenskyy, aide and SBU head operated offshore companies in BVI, Cyprus and Belize owning London property.
Accused Russia and Rinat Akhmetov of backing a coup plot
On 26 Nov 2021 Zelenskyy publicly accused Russia and oligarch Akhmetov of supporting a plot to overthrow his government.
Spoke at Munich Security Conference warning West against 'appeasement'
Urged Western nations to abandon appeasement policies and provide security guarantees ahead of Russia's invasion.
Russia launches full‑scale invasion of Ukraine
On 24 Feb 2022 Russia began a full‑scale invasion; Zelenskyy declared martial law, general mobilization, and remained in Kyiv refusing evacuation.
Delivered virtual address to U.S. Congress
Delivered a virtual address from Kyiv to the US Congress in March 2022 appealing for military aid and sanctions.
Visited Bucha after liberation
Traveled to the Kyiv suburb of Bucha in April 2022 to view alleged atrocities and call for accountability for war crimes.
Ukraine granted EU candidate status
European Council granted Ukraine candidate status for EU membership (23 June 2022) following Zelenskyy's appeals.
Ukrainian counteroffensives liberate territory (Aug–Nov 2022)
Between Aug and Nov 2022 Ukrainian forces liberated large parts of Kharkiv region and recaptured Kherson; Zelenskyy frequently visited front lines.
Named Time Person of the Year
Time magazine named Zelenskyy Person of the Year for 2022, recognizing his wartime leadership and global appeal.
First foreign trip since invasion — addressed joint session of US Congress
Made a surprise trip to Washington D.C., met President Biden at the White House and addressed a joint session of Congress (21 Dec 2022).
Awarded France's Legion of Honour
Received the Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur from French President Emmanuel Macron during visits in Feb 2023.
Awarded Charlemagne Prize
On 14 May 2023 Zelenskyy received the prestigious Charlemagne Prize for contributions to European unity on behalf of the Ukrainian people.
Presidential election scheduled but suspended due to martial law
Zelenskyy's term originally scheduled to end May 2024, but the scheduled election was prevented by ongoing martial law and war; he is expected to remain in office.
Became second‑longest serving Ukrainian president (term extended)
Because elections could not be held, Zelenskyy became the second‑longest serving president in Ukrainian history, after Leonid Kuchma.
Diplomatic meeting in Washington ends in confrontation (Feb 28, 2025)
Reported meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House ended in argument over peace process and US policy toward Ukraine.
Signed decree to withdraw Ukraine from Ottawa landmine treaty (announced)
On 29 June 2025 Zelensky announced he signed a decree proposing withdrawal from the Ottawa Treaty; parliament approval required.
Key Achievement Ages
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