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Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s 20-year marriage to wife Olena Zelenska and her very different career

Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s 20-year marriage to wife Olena Zelenska and her very different career

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Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, and his wife, who both grew up in the same city, have been married to each other for more than 20 years.

Olena Zelenska, 47, was catapulted into the limelight back in 2019 when her husband became Ukraine’s new president. Initially, Olena was reportedly opposed to Zelenskyy’s presidential ambitions, but she has since flourished in her role as Ukraine’s First Lady, earning recognition as one of the country’s most influential women.

Hailing from Kryvyi Rih, the largest city in central Ukraine, Olena is a successful screenwriter. She met her future husband at Kryvyi Rih National University, where she studied architecture. Olena started writing for Kvartal 95 after finishing her studies, setting the stage for a successful writing career, but she chose to pursue an architecture career after finishing her studies.

Although the pair both had children and attended the same schools, they never really developed a relationship until they were in college. Volodymyr was pursuing his comedy career while studying law at the same time.

Olena Zelenska
Olena is a successful screenwriter for Getty Images.

When Olena wrote for the comedy group that propelled her husband to fame and made him famous in Servant of the People, a well-known politician, the pair fell in love. The couple exchanged vows in September 2003 and welcomed their first child, a daughter named Oleksandra, in July 2004 and their son Kyrylo in January 2013.

Zelenskyy later decided to venture into politics, a move that Olena initially “aggressively opposed”. However, his presidential campaign was successful, and he assumed office as Ukraine’s president in 2019, making Olena the First Lady. She graced the cover of the Ukrainian edition of Vogue in November 2019, where she candidly discussed her new position, stating: “I am a non-public person. However, I’m attempting to follow the new realities, which have their own rules.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (L) and his wife Olena Zelenska
The couple tied the knot in September 2003 (Getty Images)

She added: “I prefer staying backstage. My husband is always on the forefront, while I feel more comfortable in the shade. I am not the life of the party, I do not like to tell jokes. It’s not in my character. However, I discovered arguments for myself in favor of publicity. One of them is the chance to draw attention to crucial social issues.

Olena has made significant progress since taking the title of Ukraine’s First Lady, including leading a campaign to encourage the use of the Ukrainian language and championing a law to improve the nutritional standards and variety of food in Ukrainian schools.

Source: Mirror

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