Who Is Olena Zelenska? Meet Ukraine’s First Lady and Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Wife

Olena Zelenska is a popular screenwriter, entrepreneur, media personality, social media influencer, and the First Lady of Ukraine. She became even well known by the general Ukrainian public and the world in General when she assumed the responsibilities of the First Lady in Ukraine in 2019 after her husband Volodymyr Zelenskyy became the country’s president.

Following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine and Zelenskyy’s declaration that he and his family were Russia’s primary target, the spotlight was cast on his family members, including his wife, Olena Zelenska, and his two kids. Before she became the First Lady of her country, Olena was already thriving in several other endeavors and this article takes a look at the years that preceded her move into politics and also looks at what her life has been like since she became recognized as Ukraine’s First Lady.

Early life and family background of Olena Zelenska

Olena Zelenska was born on February 6, 1978, under the sun sign of Aquarius, in Kryvyi Rih, in Ukraine. She is a Ukrainian citizen who was born in the former Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union, under the given name of Olena Volodymyrvina Kiyashko. The actual identity of her parents is limited to the fact that her mother’s name is Olha Kiyashko. The Ukrainian first lady doesn’t talk much about her birth family which makes it difficult to determine if she grew up with any siblings.

Most of the first lady’s formative years took place in her hometown of Kryvyi Rih where she grew up with the rest of her family. With regards to her formal education, Olena had the distinct privilege of attending a primary school, although the name and location of the said school are unknown. In fact, pretty much all the records regarding her early school years up to high school are not something she has shared with the public.

After high school, Olena would go on to study at one of the foremost higher institutions in her country, the Kryvyi Rih National University. Determined to bag a respectable degree, the beautiful first lady decided to major in architecture, in the Faculty of Civil Engineering. The focus was visible right then and after years of hard work, she graduated with a Bsc. in her chosen field of study.

Olena Zelenska started her career as a writer

During her years in college, Olena began to develop her writing skills, and fresh out of the university, she made a decision to put those writing skills to quality use. She felt that her creative outlet would be best suited for the entertainment industry and so she became one of the founders of Studio Kvartal 95, a studio that prioritizes the production of entertainment materials for television series. The studio was also engaged in film production, invariably making it the foremost and most rated studio in Ukraine.

Soon after the studio was created, Olena teamed up with a group of other talented writers and together, they were responsible for writing entertainment materials for Studio Kvartal 95. Some of the projects they saw to conclusion include Liga Smichu and How The Cossacks, which was first shown in 2009. Olena and her group of writers were also the brains behind the success of the Women’s Kvartal social initiatives project. Not bad for a person who actually majored in architecture while in school.

Olena Zelenska became Ukraine’s First Lady in 2019

The year 2019 became a memorably historic one in the life of Olena Zelenska. The reason is simply down to the fact that it was the year she rose to become the most powerful woman in her country, Ukraine’s political sphere.

On May 20, 2019, Olena’s husband Volodymyr Zelenskyy, was sworn into office as the nation’s sixth president. Her husband’s position as the nation’s new commander-in-chief, in addition to hers as the new first lady, gave Olena the opportunity to bring about the changes she always desired to see in her country. She has also set about it in fine form. Her ideas of reform focused primarily on securing the well-being of Ukraine’s future generations and she has already initiated reforms in the nutritional development of schools in the country.

Another aspect of the country’s way of living that Olena wanted to bring change to was the area of equal opportunities regardless of cultural differences. Under the leadership of the astute first lady, 7 Ukrainian Language audio guides have been introduced in countries like Latvia, Italy, Montenegro, and Turkey. Ukraine also joined the Biarritz International partnership on December 10, 2019. By early the following year, on January 13, 2020, Ukraine acquired membership status on the Council for the Development of the National Cultural and Art Museum Complex. This complex was effectively dubbed Ukraine’s Art Arsenal.

The first lady has been a pillar of support for her husband in the wake of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine and has used her voice and influence to speak up against violence.

Olena Zelenska met her husband in school

The power couple met several years ago when they went to the same high school but were not really well known to each other. That aspect of their relationship would change when they ended up at the same university, where she studied architecture while he worked on graduating as a lawyer.

They were married after dating for a few years

Olena and her husband apparently came to the conclusion that meeting again at the same university was fate and they planned to get to know each other better. Soon, they began to date, starting from 1995 until they tied the knot on September 6, 2003. The couple’s wedding was attended by friends and well-wishers who were there to witness the solemnization of the marriage ceremony.

Olena Zelenska has two children with her husband Volodymyr Zelenskyy

In the wake of President Zelenskyy’s perceived Russian threat to his immediate family members, attention was also drawn to the fact that Olena’s 20-year marriage with husband Volodymyr Zelenskyy has produced 2 wonderful children, a daughter, and a son.

Olena gave birth to her first child, a daughter, who she named Oleksandra Zelenskyy on July 15, 2004. Oleksandra was Olena’s only offspring for nearly a decade before she conceived again in 2012. The couple welcomed their second child, a son named Krylo Zelenskyy on January 21, 2013. The entire Ukrainian first family remains in Ukraine despite the tribulations that are currently being faced by the country. However, for security reasons, the location of Ukraine’s first family is not public knowledge.

Read Also: Is Volodymyr Zelenskyy Married? Meet His Wife and Children

Olena Zelenska is slightly shorter than her husband

The beautiful first lady has a respectable height that frames her delicate features. She stands at a decent height of 5 feet 6 inches (167cm). This makes her around an inch shorter than her husband Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The Ukrainian President stands at a height of approximately 5 feet 7 inches (170cm)