The previous year has seen a large portion of the world observe the conflict in Ukraine as that nation fights Russian attacks and establishes its identity on the international scene.
The fact that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and “the spirit of Ukraine” has been named Time magazine’s Person of the Year for 2022 may not come as a surprise to many people. The announcement was made public on Wednesday along with a thorough profile on the wartime leader by the magazine, which has given the award every year since 1927. It gives him credit for managing Ukraine’s defense, which has prevented Russia from advancing and reclaimed important regions.
Editor-in-Chief Edward Felsenthal remarked that whether one looks at this story of Ukraine with a sense of hope or a sense of terror, and the story is, of course, not entirely written yet, Zelenskyy has galvanized the world at a level we haven’t seen in decades. Zelenskyy is depicted in profile on the cover wearing his signature army-green pullover, surrounded by isolated demonstrators and groups of people. They are dotted with vibrant yellow sunflowers and Ukrainian flags in blue and yellow.
Volodymyr Zelensky and the spirit of Ukraine is TIME's 2022 Person of the Year https://t.co/RKSKKnaI7b pic.twitter.com/xFfkV1MUmB
— TIME (@TIME) December 7, 2022
The article cites Zelensky’s adamant refusal to leave the country during Russia’s initial invasion in February as well as his perilous excursions to frontline areas in the months that followed as examples of his tenacity that have motivated other Ukrainians to fight for their freedom. It also demonstrates his deliberate attempts to keep Ukraine at the forefront of supporters’ minds everywhere. His chief of staff, Andiry Yermak, warned that danger might arise if they lost concentration. In his numerous virtual appearances at international conferences, talks at educational institutions, and meetings with foreign leaders and Hollywood celebrities alike, Zelenskyy cuts a recognizable figure in his army-green tees and quarter-zips.
Time (like many others) observes that the 44-year-old former comedian and actor, who was chosen to serve as president in 2019 after portraying one on television, draws on a distinctive history and set of abilities to address the current situation. According to Time reporter Simon Shuster, Zelenskyy was adaptive and taught not to lose his nerve under pressure. He was resolved not to let them down because he knew how to read a crowd and respond to its emotions and expectations. But the war has altered Zelenskyy too — and not just because of the physical toll it has taken. Oleksiy Arestovych, a military adviser, claimed to Time that the president has abandoned his rapid movements, quips, and chattiness in favor of a more assertive stance.
He’s evolved into a boss, and he’s lost that actorly quality, the man claimed. The president is not the only person Time is applauding; it also names “the spirit of Ukraine” as its person of the year. It recognizes some of the people, including doctors, humanitarian leaders, volunteers, and journalists, who have helped Ukraine bounce back and recover in a different piece. Even if some of such assistance came from abroad, Ukrainians themselves are also honored in the publication. If an age we had primarily been scrolling through gained moral clarity as a result of the decisions their President made, it was people who gave it meaning through their actions, the article adds.
Zelenskyy was chosen by Time from a group of ten nominees, which included Chinese President Xi Jinping, U.S. Representative Liz Cheney, gun safety campaigners, and U.S. Janet Yellen, secretary of the Treasury. It made its statement two days after the Financial Times, a British business journal, named Zelenskyy its person of the year. He said to the press in the interview that he didn’t think of himself as courageous. He declared that he is more responsible than he is brave and that he simply hates to disappoint people.
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