Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Volodymyr Zelenskyy
From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Volodymyr Zelenskyy made an impact.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy is the current president of Ukraine, serving since 2019. Prior to his political career, he was a successful entertainer. His presidency has been largely defined by the Russo-Ukrainian war, including the annexation of Crimea and invasion of Donbas which started five years before he took office, and the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine beginning in 2022. He has become a prominent figure on the world stage due to his leadership during the ongoing conflict.
1995: Joined Zaporizhzhia-Kryvyi Rih-Transit
In 1995, Zelenskyy was invited to join the Ukrainian KVN team "Zaporizhzhia-Kryvyi Rih-Transit", becoming a dance director and writer.
1997: Won KVN's Major League
In 1997, the "Zaporizhzhia-Kryvyi Rih-Transit" team, featuring Zelenskyy, won KVN's Major League in a tie with Armenian opponents.
1999: Kvartal 95 Performed in Ukrainian League
From 1999, Kvartal 95 performed in the highest open Ukrainian league of KVN, as well as the KVN Major League.
September 2003: Kvartal 95 Studio Founded
In September 2003, Zelenskyy and others founded the Kvartal 95 Studio company in Kyiv.
2003: Zelenskyy and Kvartal 95 Left KVN
In 2003, Zelenskyy and Kvartal 95 left KVN due to disputes over money, political censorship, and an antisemitic insult against Zelenskyy.
2003: Kvartal 95 Performed in Ukrainian League
Until 2003, Kvartal 95 performed in the highest open Ukrainian league of KVN, as well as the KVN Major League.
2005: Evening Kvartal Launched
In 2005, Kvartal 95 launched the "Evening Kvartal" comedy show on the Ukrainian TV channel Inter.
2006: Won Ukraine's Dancing with the Stars
In 2006, Zelenskyy won the first season of Ukraine's "Dancing with the Stars".
2008: Co-produced Svaty and starred in Love in the Big City
In 2008, Zelenskyy began co-producing the sitcom "Svaty" and starred in the romantic comedy "Love in the Big City".
2010: Love in the Big City sequel
In 2010, Zelenskyy starred in the sequel to "Love in the Big City".
2011: Office Romance. Our Time Film
In 2011, Zelenskyy co-wrote, co-produced, and played the male protagonist in the film "Office Romance. Our Time."
2011: Presented Russia's X Factor
In 2011, Zelenskyy presented Russia's "X Factor" with Filipp Kirkorov and Alla Pugacheva.
2012: Kvartal 95 Returned to 1+1
In 2012, Kvartal 95 returned to the Ukrainian TV channel 1+1.
2012: Rzhevsky Versus Napoleon and 8 First Dates
In 2012, Zelenskyy co-produced "Rzhevsky Versus Napoleon" and played Napoleon, also co-writing, co-producing, and playing the male lead in "8 First Dates".
2013: Make the Comedian Laugh Sold Internationally
By 2013, "Make the Comedian Laugh", a show format by Kvartal 95, had been sold into China, Italy, and Finland.
2013: Presented New Year's Eve Show on Russia-1
In 2013, Zelenskyy presented the New Year's Eve show on the Russia-1 channel with Russian comedian Maxim Galkin.
August 2014: Performance for Ukrainian Troops and Donation
In August 2014, Volodymyr Zelenskyy performed for Ukrainian troops in Mariupol. Later that month, his studio donated ₴1 million to the Ukrainian army.
2014: Performed for Ukrainian Soldiers and Donations to the Army
From 2014, Kvartal 95 visited the war zone to perform for Ukrainian soldiers and donated ₴1 million to the Ukrainian army, leading to calls for a ban on Zelenskyy's works in Russia.
2014: Daughter's role in "8 New Dates"
In 2014, Volodymyr Zelenskyy's daughter, Oleksandra, played the role of Sasha, the protagonist's daughter, in his film "8 New Dates".
2014: Love in the Big City sequel
In 2014, Zelenskyy starred in another sequel to "Love in the Big City".
2014: Voice of Paddington Bear
In 2014, Zelenskyy voiced Paddington Bear in the Ukrainian dub of "Paddington".
2015: Began Starring in Servant of the People
In 2015, Zelenskyy began co-producing and starring in the television series "Servant of the People", playing the role of the president of Ukraine.
2016: Daughter's appearance on "Make the Comedian Laugh: Kids"
In 2016, Volodymyr Zelenskyy's daughter, Oleksandra, participated in the show "Make the Comedian Laugh: Kids" and won ₴50,000.
2017: Voice of Paddington Bear
In 2017, Zelenskyy voiced Paddington Bear in the Ukrainian dub of "Paddington 2".
2017: Svaty Banned in Ukraine
In 2017, the sitcom "Svaty", co-produced by Zelenskyy, was banned in Ukraine after a Russian lead actor was blacklisted.
March 2018: Creation of Servant of the People political party
In March 2018, a political party with the same name as the TV show "Servant of the People" was created by employees of Kvartal 95.
December 2018: Statements on ending the war in Donbas
In December 2018, Zelenskyy stated that as president he would try to end the ongoing war in Donbas by negotiating with Russia, but not with the leaders of the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic (DPR and LPR). He also mentioned the possibility of holding a referendum on the issue.
December 2018: Zelenskyy Announces Presidential Candidacy
On December 31, 2018, Zelenskyy announced his candidacy in the 2019 presidential election during the New Year's Eve address of then-president Petro Poroshenko.
2018: Me. You. He. She Movie
In 2018, Zelenskyy co-wrote, co-produced, and co-directed the romantic comedy "Me. You. He. She", and played the male protagonist.
2018: Teletriumph Awards
In 2018, Zelenskyy continued to receive the Teletriumph Awards, Ukraine's national television awards. Teletriumph 2018 remains the most recent award year.
2018: Royalties Received from Make the Comedian Laugh
In 2018, Zelenskyy mentioned receiving royalties from 21 countries for the show "Make the Comedian Laugh".
2018: Zelenskyy Performed for Post-Soviet Presidents
In 2018, Zelenskyy said he had performed in front of numerous presidents of post-Soviet countries, including his predecessors and Dmitry Medvedev.
2018: Love in the Big City 2 Banned in Ukraine
In 2018, Zelenskyy's "Love in the Big City 2" was banned in Ukraine due to the inclusion of a blacklisted Russian actor.
March 2019: Sitcom Svaty Unbanned in Ukraine
In March 2019, the sitcom "Svaty" co-produced by Zelenskyy, was unbanned in Ukraine after a previous ban in 2017.
June 2019: First Official Trip Abroad
In June 2019, Zelenskyy's first official trip abroad as president was to Brussels, where he met with EU and NATO officials.
July 2019: Appointment to Tripartite Contact Group and Call with Putin
In July 2019, Zelenskyy appointed Leonid Kuchma as Ukraine's representative in the Tripartite Contact Group for a settlement in the conflict. On July 11, 2019, Zelenskyy had his first telephone conversation with Vladimir Putin, urging him to enter EU-mediated talks and discussing prisoner exchange.
August 2019: Promise to Lift Moratorium on Exhuming Polish Graves
In August 2019, Zelenskyy promised to lift the moratorium on exhuming Polish mass graves in Ukraine after the previous government banned Polish exhumations of Polish victims of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army.
December 2019: Normandy Format Talks Resume
In December 2019, Russia and Ukraine agreed to resume talks mediated by France and Germany under the Normandy Format, marking Zelenskyy's first face-to-face meeting with Vladimir Putin.
2019: Evening Kvartal Seen by Over 85% of Ukrainians
By 2019, when Zelenskyy became president, over 85% of Ukrainians reported they had seen the "Evening Kvartal" show.
2019: Promises during the presidential campaign
During his 2019 presidential campaign, Zelenskyy promised to introduce bills aimed at combating corruption, including the removal of immunity for key officials, and to reform election laws. He also pledged to raise military personnel salaries to NATO standards.
2019: Became the sixth president of Ukraine
In 2019, Volodymyr Zelenskyy became the sixth president of Ukraine.
2019: Zelenskyy Wins Presidential Election
In 2019, Zelenskyy won the Ukrainian presidential election with 73.23 percent of the vote in the second round, defeating Petro Poroshenko.
2019: Draft Law on Election System
In 2019, after calling a snap Ukrainian parliamentary election, Zelenskyy proposed a draft law to hold the election with closed lists because the 60-day term to the snap election did not "leave any chances for the introduction of this system," although he had earlier stated that he preferred elections with open list election ballots. However, this bill was rejected by parliament.
2019: End of Airing of Servant of the People
In 2019, the TV series "Servant of the People", in which Zelenskyy played a fictional Ukrainian president, stopped airing.
2019: Teletriumph Awards Cancelled
In 2019, the Teletriumph Awards were cancelled due to reorganizational efforts.
March 2020: Honchurak's Resignation and Zelenskyy's Address
In March 2020, Prime Minister Honchurak resigned following a leaked audio recording where he appeared to belittle Zelenskyy's economic management, and was replaced by Denys Shmyhal. Zelenskyy addressed the Rada, recommitting to domestic and financial reforms.
July 2020: Formal Ceasefire Announced
In July 2020, Zelenskyy announced a formal ceasefire with the separatists, which was the more than twentieth such attempt since the war began.
March 2021: Decree on Crimea Reintegration
On March 24, 2021, Zelenskyy signed Decree 117/2021 approving the strategy for de-occupation and reintegration of the temporarily occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol.
September 2021: U.S. Trip and Assassination Attempt on Aide
In September 2021, Zelenskyy visited the United States, engaging in talks with U.S. officials and participating in the opening of the Ukrainian House in Washington, D.C. An assassination attempt occurred in Ukraine on Serhiy Shefir, Zelenskyy's aide, while Zelenskyy was in the U.S.
December 2021: Call for Preemptive Action Against Russia
In December 2021, Zelenskyy called for preemptive action against Russia.
2021: Mykola Oleshchuk Headed the Ukrainian Air Force
In 2021, Mykola Oleshchuk headed the Ukrainian Air Force.
2021: Zelenskyy on Expert Council of UTVA
In 2021, Zelenskyy served on the "Expert Council" of the Ukrainian Television Academy (UTVA), to oversee the restructuring efforts of the Teletriumph Awards and the discussions for a new nomination process.
February 2022: Ukraine Applies to Join the EU
In February 2022, Volodymyr Zelenskyy formally applied for Ukraine to become a member of the European Union.
March 2022: Kremlin Demands and Zelenskyy's Response
On March 7, 2022, the Kremlin demanded Ukraine's neutrality, recognition of Crimea as Russian territory, and recognition of Donetsk and Luhansk as independent states as conditions for ending the invasion. On March 8, Zelenskyy expressed willingness to discuss Putin's demands but not capitulate, proposing a new collective security agreement.
June 2022: Zelenskyy Addresses African Union Representatives
On 20 June 2022, Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed African Union (AU) representatives via videoconference and invited African leaders to a virtual meeting, with limited attendance.
December 2022: Zelenskyy Visits the United States and Secures Patriot Missiles
On 21 December 2022, Volodymyr Zelenskyy made his first foreign trip since the war began, visiting the United States. During the visit he met with President Joe Biden and addressed Congress, the United States announced the supply of Patriot missiles to Ukraine.
2022: Teletriumph Awards Suspended
As the Ukrainian Television Academy was finalizing its award nominations for 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine, and much of the celebrity class of Ukraine enlisted into the military, leading to the indefinite suspension of the Teletriumph Awards.
2023: Featured in Brad Paisley song
In 2023, Zelenskyy was featured in a spoken-word interlude in the song "Same Here" by American country music singer Brad Paisley.
February 2024: Zelenskyy Replaces Commander-in-Chief of Ukrainian Armed Forces
On 8 February 2024, Volodymyr Zelenskyy replaced General Valery Zaluzhny with General Oleksandr Syrskyi as Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. On 17 February, Syrskyi declared he would no longer hold Avdiivka.
June 2024: Zelenskyy Decommissions Lt. Gen. Yuriy Sodol and Appoints Brig. Gen. Andriy Hnatov
On 25 June 2024, Volodymyr Zelenskyy decommissioned Lt. Gen. Yuriy Sodol, who had been promoted in February to Syrskyi's now-vacant position, and appointed Brig. Gen. Andriy Hnatov as his replacement.
August 2024: Zelenskyy Decommissions Lt Gen Mykola Oleshchuk After Pilot's Death
On 30 August 2024, Volodymyr Zelenskyy decommissioned Lt Gen Mykola Oleshchuk, head of the Ukrainian Air Force since 2021, following the death of F-16 pilot Col Oleksiy Mes during a Russian missile attack.
September 2024: Shmyhal Government Cabinet Tenders Resignations
On 4 September 2024, most of the Shmyhal Government cabinet tendered their resignations while Volodymyr Zelenskyy considered his reshuffle.
October 2024: Zelenskyy Unveils the Victory Plan for Ukraine
In October 2024, Volodymyr Zelenskyy unveiled the Victory Plan for Ukraine, comprising five points addressing geopolitical, military, economic, and national defense/safety aspects.
2024: Ukraine Should Apply for EU and NATO Membership
During his presidential campaign, Zelenskyy's electoral programme claimed that Ukrainian NATO membership is "the choice of the Maidan and the course that is enshrined in the Constitution, in addition, it is an instrument for strengthening our defense capability." The program states that Ukraine should set the goal to apply for a NATO Membership Action Plan in 2024 and Zelenskyy "will do everything to ensure" that Ukraine can apply for European Union membership in 2024.
February 2025: Ukraine to Introduce Special Military Contracts for Volunteers Aged 18 to 24
In February 2025, Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine would introduce special military contracts for volunteers aged 18 to 24.
December 2025: Zelenskyy Addresses Potential Second Term
On 15 December 2025, Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned in an interview with ZDF that he would run for president if the next election was held during the war, but was unsure if he would run in peacetime.
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