Volodymyr Zelenskyy turns 48: recalling path to presidency, memes, achievements and scandals
Today, January 25, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy celebrates his 48th birthday. Having chosen a legal education, Zelenskyy became a successful comedian, and at the age of 40, he became the President of warring Ukraine.
Ukrainian News Agency suggests recalling the path of Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The father of the incumbenty President, Oleksandr Zelenskyy, said that he learned about his son's intention to run by chance. In an interview, he shared that he and his wife "didn't really want" Volodymyr to run for President, but during the election campaign, "we were rooting for him."
At that time, Volodymyr Zelenskyy was known as a comedian, presenter, and actor, although he received a law degree in his native Kryvyi Rih. While still a student, he became interested in the "Club of the Cheerful and Clever" (KVN), joining the team, which also included future actors of "Studio Kvartal-95": Denys Manzhosov, Yurii Krapov, and Oleksandr Pikalov. It is worth noting that with the "95th Quarter" team, Zelenskyy performed in the Higher League of the KVN, and the team members spent a lot of time in Moscow.
Having received his own show on the "1+1" channel, and later on "Inter" in the form of "Evening Quarter", the "95th Quarter" team turned into "Studio Kvartal-95". Volodymyr Zelenskyy himself became one of its owners.
It is worth noting that with "Studio Kvartal-95" Zelenskyy performed volunteer concerts in the ATO. In the aggressor state of russia, a criminal case was opened against him in 2015 for financial assistance to the Ukrainian army.
Meanwhile, the most popular videos on the YouTube channel remain russian-language performances from the show's episodes, despite the fact that the show continues to be broadcast in Ukrainian at the moment.
Among other things, Zelenskyy is remembered for a number of other shows.
Participant of the show "Dancing with the Stars".
Judge in "Make the Comedian Laugh"
Host of the "League of Laughter". On the sidelines of the show, during one of the interviews with Kateryna Osadcha within the framework of "Social Life", Zelenskyy said that he had started learning Ukrainian and hired a teacher.
In 2015, Ukrainians saw the series "Servant of the People" about a history teacher who was elected President of Ukraine, in which Volodymyr Zelenskyy played the main role. And on December 31, 2018, Zelenskyy published a video in which he announced his intention to run for president for real.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been in office since May 20, 2019. The first years of the presidency were accompanied by comedic stories and memes. In particular, Ukrainians still remember "Get out of here, bandit, "I'm not a sucker", "Go for a walk, for the God's sake", "Pyrizochok?!", as well as the famous first New Year's address - "Who am I?".
With the beginning of the full-scale invasion in 2022, the President of Ukraine actively spoke on the international stage, talking about the war and russia's crimes against Ukrainians, and also asked for military and economic assistance. During this period, he began to appear on the covers of reputable media outlets in the world, where he was called the person of the year and the leader of the free world.
Among the criticisms of Zelenskyy, in particular, is the scandalous bill No. 12414 on reducing the powers of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO), which brought people to the streets of Ukrainian cities with large-scale protests. On July 22, 2025, the Verkhovna Rada voted on it, and late in the evening of the same day the President signed it.
Zelenskyy stated in his address that "everyone has heard what people are saying on social networks, to each other, on the streets" and on July 24 agreed on the text of the new bill No. 13533 on the return of the powers of the NABU and the SAPO.
Speaking about the present, President Zelenskyy spoke at the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 22, 2026. The speech was full of criticism of Europe - Zelenskyy spoke about the weakness and indecision of European countries. Reactions were not without differences - both favorable and negative.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said that Zelenskyy was "ungrateful to Europe".
The British government stated that as the fourth anniversary of the invasion approaches, "we understand and share Zelenskyy's disappointment." At the same time, the government spokesman stressed that Britain has always taken decisive measures towards Ukraine.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, commenting on Zelenskyy's speech, said that "on our side, actions speak louder than words. We have been Ukraine's biggest partner for the past four years."
Foreign media noted that the speech "was one of his sharpest criticisms of Europe," and also unexpected, given that the continent has become Ukraine's most reliable ally. It was also called "the toughest in recent years."