Zelenskyy's Transformation From Comedian To Icon Of Democracy
Consider This from NPR
NPR
4.2 • 6.2K Ratings
🗓️ 21 February 2023
⏱️ 14 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
And in the past year, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has undergone a dramatic political transformation.
Zelenskyy got his start as a comedian who played an accidental president on TV. He was then elected president in real life, only to see his popularity slump. Now, after a year of war, he is widely considered an icon of democracy.
NPR's Frank Langfitt takes a look at how Zelenskyy became the kind of leader he is today and why some Ukrainians still question his leadership.
In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.
Email us at considerthis@npr.org.
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
NPR Privacy Policy
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | With change comes opportunity. |
| 0:03.3 | That's what many in Ukraine felt when the parliament and Kiev declared the country's |
| 0:06.8 | independence from the Soviet Union back in 1991. |
| 0:10.9 | The parliament of Ukraine declares the complete independence of Ukraine. |
| 0:18.8 | That the territory of Ukraine is whole and unemcommered. |
| 0:22.7 | From this day forward, the Constitution of Ukraine will be the sole law of the land. |
| 0:28.6 | The laws of the USSR no longer apply. |
| 0:32.5 | Free from Moscow's authoritarian grip, Ukrainian saw a world of possibilities. |
| 0:37.9 | For a young Vladimir Zelinsky, that meant becoming a comedic actor and an entertainment executive. |
| 0:44.3 | His signature TV role, an idealistic teacher who becomes Ukraine's accidental president. |
| 0:50.4 | And in this scene from the first episode that aired back in 2015, Zelinsky's character |
| 0:55.1 | has just learned he has won the election. |
| 1:02.1 | In this scene, he is saying, this is some kind of weird joke. |
| 1:14.2 | I feel like it's a practical joke, based on the preliminary opinion polls I shouldn't |
| 1:18.7 | even be in the top 10. |
| 1:21.2 | And from there, it gets weirder. |
| 1:23.2 | In 2019, on the back of his successful TV show, Zelinsky actually ran for president, like |
| 1:30.3 | in real life. |
| 1:38.2 | But his time in office has been no sitcom. |
| 1:41.7 | Before Russia invaded last year, Zelinsky's approval rating had been as low as 25%. |
| 1:47.7 | Today, he is one of the world's most popular politicians, some compare him to Winston Churchill. |
| 1:54.4 | So consider this. |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from NPR, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of NPR and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.