Ukraine’s First Lady, Olena Zelenska remains a staunch ally to her college sweetheart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy during these war-torn times. Olena has displayed all shades of bravery rather than being emotionally mute. She is a graduate of architecture and a trained screenwriter.
The 46 year old is a mother of two. In 2019, she was reportedly included in the list of “The 100 Most Influential People of Ukraine”. Olena Zelenska works alongside the president to help enact policies. She has used her position as the First Lady of Ukraine to promote gender equality, reform school nutritional programs, and preserve the Ukrainian language.
One of her initiative in 2021, the Barrier-Free Environment in Ukraine was established to achieve sustainable development goals. There’s a lot to know about the First Lady of Ukraine who’s standing shoulder to shoulder with the president at this time.
Who Is Olena Zelenska
Olena Zelenska was born Olena Volodymyrivna Zelenska on Febuary 6, 1978 in Kryvyi Rih, to her mother Olha Kyiashko. The 46 year-old holds Ukrainian nationality. She studied architecture at Kryvyi Rih National University. However, Olena pursued a career in Kvartal 95 as a writer.
She is married to the first citizen of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and their union is blessed with two children. In December 2019, Olena was featured in Focus Magazine’s list of the 100 most influential Ukrainians.
7 Interesting Facts About Olena Zelenska
1. She is Ukraine’s Youngest First Lady
On May 20, 2019, Olena Zelenska was sworn in as First Lady of Ukraine when she was only 41 years old. Though she initially opposed her husband’s political career, Olena is diligently discharging her duties as the First Lady of Ukraine. She has made enormous contributions to spreading and preserving the Ukrainian language by introducing 11 audio guides in famous museums of Azerbaijan, Austria, Latvia, Montenegro, Turkey, and in two bus routes of Lithuania.
Also, she has reformed school nutrition programs, noting that proper nutrition is key for a child’s development and wellbeing. Additionally, she lays out public initiatives on the national and global levels.
During the third Ukrainian Women’s Congress in December 2019, she initiated Ukraine’s membership in the Biarritz Partnership, a G7 worldwide initiative on gender equality. The president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy appointed Olena to the board of the Art Arsenal on January 13, 2020, which is led by Minister of Culture Volodymyr Borodiansky.
2. Olena Zelenska is Married to Her College Sweetheart
Olena and Volodymyr grew up in the same town and attended the same high school but were not acquainted at that time, he knew some of her classmates but not her. They became close while in the university. At that time, Zelenskyy was a rising comedian and law student while Ukraine’s First Lady received an education in architecture. The duo dated for 8 years and finally tied the knot on September 6, 2003.
3. She is the mother of two
Olena and Zelenskyy have two children. Their daughter, Alexandra Zelenskaya, 20 years old, was born on July 15, 2004. In 2014, she appeared in the movie “8 New Dating,” as Sasha. Two years later, she appeared in the TV game show “Laughing Comedian: Children” and won 50,000 hryvnias. The pair welcomed their son, Cyril Zelensky on January 21, 2013. He is currently 11 years old.
Read Also: Volodymyr Zelenskyy Children: What We Know About Them
4. She is a Professional Screenwriter
The First Lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska is a graduate of architecture from Kryvyi Rih National University. However, after college, she started writing texts for Kvartal 95, a publicly held television entertainment production company.
Olena Zelenska perfected her writing skills while working in the entertainment industry with her husband Zelenskyy as a scriptwriter. The television comedy and political parody series, servant of the people that lofted Zelenskyy to fame was written by Olena.
The First Lady also wrote the comedy film “How the Cossacks …” in 2009. Olena Zelenska is also the producer of the project “Women’s Kvertal Social initiatives”
5. She Founded The Barrier-Free Environment Council in Ukraine
In a meeting dedicated to the National Strategy for the Barrier-Free Environment in Ukraine, the First Lady of Ukraine proposed the creation of the Council for Barrier-Free Environment. According to her, the effective body will actively control and monitor the progress of the established strategy until 2030
In pursuant to this, Oleksiy Chernyshov, the Minister of Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine has supported the proposal to establish the Council for Barrier-Free Environment in Ukraine.
6. She tested positive for covid 19
On 16 June 2020, Olena Zelenska was hospitalized after testing positive for COVID-19. However, the infection was considered “moderate severity” so, she didn’t require oxygen donation. She was discharged from the hospital on July 3, 2020, with aid to continue treatments for bilateral pneumonia. Zelenskyy and the kids tested negative for the virus at the time.
7. Olena Zelenska was born the same year as her husband
Olena and Zelenskyy share quite a lot in common. They are from the same hometown, went to the same high school, university and worked in the same studio. The duo also shares the same birth year. Olena was born February 6 1978 while Volodymyr was born January 25, 1978. They are both 46 years old.
