- Volodymyr Zelenky’s Parents, Oleksandr and Rymma are survivors of the holocaust and instrumental players in the life of the sixth president of Ukraine
- They had successful careers despite their Jewish background but Rymma’s health forced her to stop working as an engineer
- The Zelenskyy’s are proud of their home in Ukraine and have remained there ever since
Volodymyr Zelenky’s Parents, Oleksandr and Rymma became popular after their son became the 6th president of Ukraine. Ever since he assumed office on May 20, 2019, he has led Ukraine and defended the interest of his country.
Oleksandr and Rymma are of Jewish background and survivors of the holocaust. They built successful careers in the country they now call home.
Apart from Oleksandr heading the department of Cybernetics and computing Hardware for many years, he is also a professor at the Kryvyi Rih State University. Volodymyr’s mother, Rymma worked as an engineer for many years till ill health forced her to retire.
Despite having successful careers, they remain shadows against the popularity of their son, Volodymyr Zelensky the president of Ukraine. Here is all we know about the popular European leader’s parents.
Who Are Volodymyr Zelenky’s Parents?
Volodymyr’s parents, Oleksandr Zelenskyy and Rymma Zelenska are of Jewish descent. They saw firsthand the pain of having a Jewish background in a country that was bent on showing them their place. They were instrumental to their son’s career and rise to occupy the highest office in Ukraine, president.
Volodymyr was born to his parents on January 25, 1978, in Krykyiv Rih. As it is now, Zelensky’s only known offspring is Volodymyr. His father Oleksandr was born on December 23, 1947, in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine while Rymma’s date of birth is still being investigated.
Some members of his family including his grandfather, Semyon Ivanovich fought for the Soviet Union.
His Parents Have A Successful Career
Zelensky is well known in the media following his career as an actor and now president. His parents, on the other hand, have stayed away from media lights and attention. His father is a professor at Kryvyi Rih State University with a specialization in the field of mining research. Volodymyr’s mother worked as an engineer.
Oleksandr earned his first degree at the same institution in Mining Automation in 1972. He later wrote and defended his dissertation at the ACS Quarry in the Moscow Mining Institute. The topic of his dissertation on Automation Calculation of Reserves of Iron Ore Deposit helped grow his career.
By 1992, his dedication to academia earned him the title of Associate professor in the field of Statistics, Economic Informatics and Computer Science.
He later became a full professor after he did his doctoral dissertation on Methodological Foundations of Surveying Planning and Accounting in the Information System of Ore Quarry Management(2003).
At the moment, Oleksandr is the head of the Cybernetics and Computer hardware department at his Alma Mata, Kryvyi Rih State University. While his father is still active in the university, his mother stopped working at some point.
Volodymyr’s father spent twenty years doing research in Erdenet, Mongolia. At the time, the young Zelensky and his mother could not cope with the weather. They spent only four years before returning home.
Volodymyr Zelenkys Parents Are Grandparents
Being an only child himself, Volodymyr now has two children with his wife, Olena Kiyasko Zelenska of almost twenty years. He and Olena first met in school and they dated for eight years before they married in 2003.
Oleksandr and Rymma’s first grandchild, Oleksandra was born in July 2004. The grandparents welcomed their next grandchild nearly a decade later when Kyrylo was born in January 2013.
Volodymyr’s Mother Worked As An Engineer For Forty Years
Though his mother spent many years of her life as an engineer, she stopped working as a result of bad health. Her deteriorating health was complicated by the Mongolian weather during the four years that they lived there.
Not long after they left Mongolia, she stopped working as an engineer. According to Volodymyr, his mother worked for forty years.
The Zelenskyys Have A Jewish Heritage
The 76 years old Oleksandr and his wife of many years show very strong support to the country they now call home, yet, they have a strong Jewish background.
They were not able to practice their Jewish culture under the Soviet regime in Russia. The Zelenkys also had to live in the Jewish quarter, Kryvyi Rih which has helped them remember who they are.
While the settlement is also known as the Pale of Settlement, it meant Jews were neighbors to each other.
The Holocaust remains a large part of their History. Zelensky’s grandmother was forced to flee to Kazahktans during the holocaust but later returned after the wars. Other members of his family were not so lucky, these are his great grandfather and grandfather’s brothers. Luckily, the Zelensky survivors returned and built their home in Ukraine.
Zelenskyy stated that he grew up in a Jewish home and has family members that moved to Israel. Despite this, the Zelenskyy’s are proud of Ukraine. Volodymyr also revealed that his father is the reason he did not take a scholarship offer in Israel. Though his father’s reasons are not clear with regards to their Jewish background, their love for Ukraine cannot be doubted.
Since he could not go to Israel, Volodymyr stayed back in Ukraine and studied law at the Kryvyi Rih State University like his parents.
See Also: Volodymyr Zelenskyy Children: What We Know About Them
Where Are Volodymyr Zelenky’s Parents Now?
The 6th president of Ukraine’s parents are still alive. Ever since their son made the decision to run for office, they showed him unwavering support.
At this dark moment of their country’s involvement in the Russia-Ukraine war that broke out in February 2022, his parents are likely still living in Kryvyi Rih.
President Volodymyr has shown a strong commitment to defending his country even to death. As of this writing, Volodymyr is still in the nation’s capital in Kyiv.
