The Zelensky Effect

Onuch and Hale artfully combine Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s biography and a chronicle of Ukraine’s postcommunist development, rich with empirical data and rigorous research. The highly readable narrative includes excerpts from Zelensky’s routines as a comedian, his prior career, as well as from his more recent political speeches, revealing that in both pursuits, Zelensky has dwelt on the same themes of civic duty and belief in Ukrainian statehood. Replete with numerous references to Ukrainian songs and quotes from Ukrainian poetry, the book depicts the country’s amazing resistance to Russian aggression as a joint achievement of the Ukrainian people and their leader. Zelensky, in this portrayal, is a Ukrainian “everyperson” who has “embraced, embodied, and affirmed” Ukrainianness as, first and foremost, a civic identity. They chronicle Zelensky’s indefatigable work to unite his nation, his masterful use of social media, and his extraordinary ability to connect with people. Given Zelensky’s bravery and unique leadership qualities demonstrated over the many months since the Russian invasion, it is hardly surprising that the book reads like a panegyric. But looking ahead, the authors fear the possible return of the country’s past ills, including corruption, a politics of divide-and-rule along ethnocultural lines, and a tolerance for autocrats.