She does not love the limelight and as long as her husband was a well-known actor, she chose to remain in his shadow. Olena Zelenska, 44, disagreed with Volodymyr Zelenski's choice to enter politics and run for president in the 2019 elections.
But after the former comic actor's sweeping victory over his political rival, Petro Poroshenko, Olena was transformed into a First Lady dedicated to her new and demanding role, and after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky's wife became his most vocal ally, as she supported his decision to remain in his country, on the side of the people, despite the suggestion of US President Joe Biden, who offered to help him if he wanted to leave Ukraine.
Olena Zelenska, although she is well aware that she is risking the lives of herself and her two children, 17-year-old Alexandra and 9-year-old Cyril, while she remains in Ukraine, chose to go into hiding with her husband rather than leave her country.
The First Lady of Ukraine, hours after Russia's invasion, sent a moving message to the Ukrainian people via her Instagram account. "My dear people! Ukrainians! I see all of you today. I see each and every one of you on TV, on the streets, on the internet. I see your posts and the videos you upload. And you know what? You are wonderful! I am proud to live with you in the same country! They say that many people are a crowd. That is not true for you. Because many Ukrainians are not crowds. They are an army! And today I will not have panic and tears. I will be calm and confident. My children are looking into my eyes. I will stand by them. And by my husband's side. And with you! I love you! I love Ukraine."
The role of First Lady "suits" Olena Zelenska
When Volodymyr Zelenska decided to run for president in the 2019 elections, Olena Zelenska made no secret of her opposition. "To speak frankly, I was completely opposed to this project. Because it is a difficult decision, it is not even a project. It is another direction in life," the Ukrainian president's wife had told a local channel.
But after Zelensky's sweeping victory with 73% of the vote over Poroshenko in the second round of elections, 44-year-old Olena had no choice but to serve the role of First Lady with dedication and consistency.
Two months after Zelensky's election to the presidency, the elegant, blonde and always well-dressed Olena made the cover of Vogue Ukraine and announced her first initiative as First Lady: the introduction of better school lunches. She soon used her influence to promote issues related to child nutrition and gender equality.
Very quickly Olena Zelenska made her appearance alongside the Ukrainian president on the world stage. Just weeks after Zelensky's election, Ukraine's presidential couple paid an official visit to Tokyo and Olena shone in an elegant yellow ensemble when she and the Ukrainian president visited the palace.
In 2020, the Ukrainian presidential couple paid an official visit to Britain and were welcomed by Prince William and Kate Middleton at Buckingham Palace. With an impressive white ensemble Olena Zelenska "stole" the impressions and rather, she surpassed in elegance even the always elegant Duchess of Cambridge.
In 2020 the Zelenska couple visited Pope Francis at the Vatican and once again Olena "captivated" the paparazzi's camera with a black ensemble and a hat in the same color. In April 2021, the President and First Lady of Ukraine visited Paris and met with Mr. and Mrs. Macron.
Olena's first meeting with Volodymyr Zelenska took place at university
Olena Zelenska was born in May 1978 in the Ukrainian city of Krivi Rih the eighth most populous city in Ukraine a region where Russian is spoken predominantly. Volodymyr Zelensky was born in the same city in the same year, but although they both attended the same schools, they did not meet until university, when he was studying law and Olena was studying architecture.
In 1995, while the charming Olena was in a relationship with another man, the couple met through mutual friends. At that time the young Volodymyr was already making plans to pursue an acting career.
Zelensky was a member of a troupe that mainly performed comedies and took part in local competitions. In 1997 the troupe and Zelensky himself won a national competition and in the same year he created the theatre group Kvartal 95 - later he founded a production company under the same title - and performed throughout Ukraine. It was then that Olena started writing plays and later became involved in scriptwriting.
As time went on, Zelensky became more and more famous as a comic actor with Olena choosing to stay out of the limelight. In 2003 the couple were united in matrimony. In July 2004, their daughter Olexandra was born and in January 2013 their son Kyriolos was born.
Source: protothema.gr
Contents of this article including associated images are belongs Cyprus Times
Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or Cyprus Times
Source
