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Roots -

Olena Volodymyrivna Zelenska was born on February 6, 1978 in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine.

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Student -

Zelenska studied architecture at Kryvyi Rih National University. This is where she met her future husband, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who was studying law at the same school.

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Dating -

Olena Zelenska and Volodymyr Zelenskyy dated for eight years, before tying the knot in 2003.

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Career -

While Olena Zelenska studied architecture, she pursued a career working as a writer in the entertainment industry. By then, Volodymyr Zelenskyy was an established comedian and actor.

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Career -

Volodymyr Zelenskyy founded a production company called Kvartal 95 Studio, where Olena Zelenska worked as a writer, notably on one of the country’s most popular TV shows, ‘Servant of the People,’ which her husband created and starred in.

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"Not the life of the party" -

"I am not the life of the party, I do not like to tell jokes. It's not in my character," Zelenska said about her work behind the scenes.

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Family -

In 2004, the couple welcomed their first child: a girl named Oleksandra. Their son, Kyrylo, was born nine years later, in 2013.

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Husband’s career -

While she initially opposed her husband’s idea of going into politics, Zelenska ended up supporting him in the end. "Frankly speaking, I aggressively opposed the start of this project," she said. "Because this is a very difficult move; it's not even a project, it's another direction in life."

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First Lady -

Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced his run for Ukrainian president on December 31, 2018. In May 2019, he became president, and Olena Zelenska his first lady.

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First Lady -

"I am a non-public person. But the new realities require their own rules, and I'm trying to comply with them. I can't say that publicity or communication with the press is stressful for me. But I prefer staying backstage,” she said about her role as first lady in 2019.

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First Lady -

"My husband is always on the forefront, while I feel more comfortable in the shade," she added.

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Vogue -

In November 2019, Olena Zelenska appeared on the cover of Ukrainian Vogue magazine.

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Opportunity -

Olena Zelenska soon found that she could make the most of her position as first lady. "I found reasons for myself in favor of publicity," she said. "One of them is the opportunity to attract people's attention to important social issues."

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Women's rights advocate -

Olena Zelenska is a fervent women's rights advocate. She played a part in getting Ukraine to join the G7 international initiative The Biarritz Partnership for Gender Equality.

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Women's rights advocate -

She is also a promoter of the Ukrainian Women’s Congress. “Gender equality is the most just and tangible change in the life of the country,” said Zelenska.

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Women's rights advocate -

Speaking at the Fifth Ukrainian Women’s Congress about Ukraine’s participation in the Biarritz Partnership, Olena Zelenska said: “Equality is not only about equal rights, but also about equal opportunities and access for every member of society to any public space: airport, train, restaurant, café, pharmacy or business center.”

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Women's rights advocate -

“All of this is part of our commitment under the Biarritz Partnership and one of the major areas of my work, which is called 'barrier-free space,'" she added.

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Clear goals -

Talking about the problems the country faces, Olena Zelenska said, "I have been living in this country all my life, and I understand how many problems we have got. But if I'm going to grab onto everything, it won't work, so our team decided to focus on specific tasks: children's health, equal opportunities for all Ukrainians and cultural diplomacy.”

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Fashion -

The First Lady has become a fashion icon. She told Vogue, "I am pleased when they ask me in New York or Paris who is the designer of my outfit. And they do ask me," she said. "And it wouldn't be as exciting to name a major Western brand, which they already know there, but how nice it is to promote Ukrainian designers to the world."

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Learning while traveling -

Olena Zelenska makes the most of her traveling as first lady to learn how other countries do things, and what she can help implement back in her home country.

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Learning while traveling -

"In Japan, for example, there is a nutritionist in every school that pays special attention to the nutrition of children with allergies, and the kitchens in schools are completely separated and sterile, like an operations room," she once pointed out.

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Learning while traveling -

"I sourced numerous ideas and became convinced that making positive changes is real, you just have to sincerely crave something, and work hard," she said.

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COVID-19 -

In 2020, she took to social media to announce that she had tested positive for COVID-19. "Today I received a positive test for coronavirus. Unexpected news. Especially considering that I and my family continue to follow all the rules — masks, gloves, a minimum of contacts."

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COVID-19 -

Olena Zelenska was hospitalized after developing moderate symptoms, described as "bilateral polysegmental pneumonia of moderate severity."

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Olena Zelenska remains in Ukraine -

While her whereabouts have not been disclosed, Olena Zelenska has not fled the country and remains by her husband amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Their children remain in the country as well.

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Russian invasion -

Zelenska shared a message of strength on Instagram when the war broke out. "Today I will not have panic. I will be calm and confident," she wrote.

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Social media updates -

Olena Zelenska continues to update the world via social media. In one post showing a newborn baby, she captioned it: "This child was born in the Kyiv bomb shelter. This was to take place in completely different conditions, under peaceful skies. It is what children should see."

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Social media -

Zelenska continues to show her gratitude and support for the Ukrainian people through social media. "My dear people! Ukrainians! I'm looking at you all today. Everyone I see on TV, on the streets, on the Internet. I see your posts and videos. And you know what? You are incredible!" she wrote.

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Social media -

"Because you are incredible, dear compatriots! In those two days, you all became an army. In the subway, bomb shelters, with children and pets (because you don't leave younger brothers either) — you do your job, you have time to take care of others, to help each other," she said.

Sources: (People) (Tatler) (Ukrainian Women's Congress) (Hollywood Life) (Grunge) (Daily Mail)

See also: Heartbreaking photos of the Ukraine conflict

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