American photographer Annie Leibovitz was in Kiev this month to photograph the first lady of Ukraine. The result will appear in the Vogue edition October, in which Olena Zelenska will be the cover and main theme of the magazine. The announcement was made by Leibovitz on Twitter, and the reactions did not take long, with criticism of the couple.
When the war broke out five months ago, Zelenska and her children, Oleksandra, 18, and Kirilo, 9, were taken to an unknown location for security reasons. But after months away, the first lady reemerged in May to take a more active role in the context of the war, when she received Jill Biden, or by participating in public events, giving interviews to raise the morale of her country.
American Vogue was in Kiev, where it interviewed Olena and her husband, President Volodymyr Zelensky, separately. In the magazine, the first lady tells how she felt when she and her children were said to be the “second targets” to be slaughtered by the Russians, after her husband, and how she stopped thinking about it so as not to become “paranoid”.
The interview took place at the presidential complex in Kiev, and the first lady says that the last few months have been the “worst” of her life, “as well as of all Ukrainians”, adding that her compatriots are her inspiration: ” We are looking forward to the victory. We have no doubt that we will prevail. And this is what keeps us going.”
Reviews of the photo shoot
The couple’s decision to give interviews and do a photo shoot in a country at war left many in shock. There is a photo of Olena at the Antonov airport in Hostomel, where the First Lady poses in front of the wreckage of a wrecked plane, her hair blowing in the wind and her gaze far away, surrounded by soldiers; in another, the couple is embracing.
For Ian Bremmer, an American expert on foreign policy, the decision to give an interview to the fashion magazine was a “bad idea”. India Today editor Kamlesh Singh is also critical of the decision, saying it is not the best way to draw attention to what is happening in Ukraine.
There are also those who praise, as is the case of the Ukrainian activist Val Voshchevska, who before the war worked on communication strategies for social networks. For the digital creator, the cover of Vogue is “iconic” and explains why: Olena doesn’t strike a simple pose, being dressed in a simple way, sitting like anyone else, with her back slightly bent, looking straight ahead, without fear , conveying confidence.
The first lady is sitting on the stairs of Parliament, which is in central Kiev, and behind her you can see the sandbags that protect the columns from being destroyed, continues the activist. “The scenario reminds us that the war is not over”, writes Val Voschevska, praising Olena, who “did not abandon her country, she stayed to protect it and who is a “symbol of resistance”.
most active role
Back in the Vogue interview, when asked about Olena’s new role as the face of Ukraine abroad, the president highlights his partner’s “strong personality” and confesses that, despite Olena Zelenska being the person he loves, ” above all”, is your friend.
The couple has known each other for 26 years, since high school. They started dating at university and worked together before the comedian embraced a political career in 2019. The woman has always worked behind the scenes in politics. However, the war has forced her to play a more active role, as she did a week ago in Washington, where she asked Congress for more weapons to fight Russia.
In Ukrainian lands, the first lady is the face of an initiative that promotes the training of mental health professionals who can help people cope with the stress of war. This training targets first-line first responders, teachers, pharmacists, social workers and police officers who can act as advisors. “This initiative seeks to improve mental health in the nation,” he summarizes to Vogue.
