Early Life and Education of Volodymyr Zelenskyy: A Complete Timeline
How education and upbringing influenced the life of Volodymyr Zelenskyy. A timeline of key moments.
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.
January 1978: Volodymyr Zelenskyy Born
In January 1978, Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy was born, who would later become the sixth president of Ukraine.
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: Marriage to Olena Kiyashko
In September 2003, Volodymyr Zelenskyy married Olena Kiyashko, whom he had known from school and university. Olena Kiyashko worked as a scriptwriter at Kvartal 95.
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.
July 2004: Birth of daughter Oleksandra
In July 2004, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Olena Kiyashko welcomed their first child, a daughter named Oleksandra.
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".
January 2013: Birth of son Kyrylo
In January 2013, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Olena Kiyashko's son, Kyrylo, was born.
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: Spoke Out Against Banning Russian Artists
In August 2014, Zelenskyy spoke out against the intention of the Ukrainian Ministry of Culture to ban Russian artists from Ukraine.
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.
2015: Blacklisting Russian Artists
Since 2015, Ukraine has blacklisted some Russian artists and media deemed part of "information warfare", barring them from entering 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: 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: Net worth in 2018
In 2018, Volodymyr Zelenskyy's assets were valued at approximately ₴37 million, equivalent to about US$1.5 million.
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: 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.
April 2019: Views on Language and Artists
In April 2019, Zelenskyy expressed his opposition to targeting the Russian language in Ukraine and banning artists for their political opinions. He also stated that he was not against a Ukrainian language quota on radio and TV, while suggesting potential adjustments.
April 2019: Views Putin as an enemy
In April 2019, Zelenskyy stated that he regarded Putin "as an enemy."
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: 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.
2021: Escalation of Tensions with Russia
In 2021, Zelenskyy's administration faced an escalation of tensions with Russia.
March 2022: Zelenskyy's statement on Holocaust
In March 2022, Zelenskyy said that both of his grandfather's parents had been killed after German troops burned their home to the ground during a massacre.
May 2024: Scheduled End of Presidential Term (Delayed)
Zelenskyy's term was originally scheduled to end in May 2024, but the ongoing Russian invasion and martial law prevented the election, extending his term.
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