Ukrainian Political Satire Series ‘Servant of the People’ Becomes Reality with Zelensky’s Presidency

The political satire TV series *Servant of the People* (also known as *Servant of the Nation*) was created and produced by Ukrainian comedian and actor Volodymyr Zelensky. The series, which ran from 2015 to 2019, served as the foundation for Zelensky’s later successful political career. After the show’s massive popularity, Zelensky used the same name to establish a political party, and he eventually became the President of Ukraine.

The show, which spanned three seasons, was produced by *Kvartal 95*, a production company that Zelensky himself founded. The series originally aired from November 2015 to March 2019, with the first season consisting of 24 episodes released on November 16, 2015. The second season, also consisting of 24 episodes, premiered on October 23, 2017. The third season, which was much shorter, comprised only three episodes and was released on March 27, 2019.

Zelensky portrayed the central character, **Vasyl Petrovych Holoborodko**, a 30-year-old history teacher at a high school. In the series, Vasyl’s impassioned speech against government corruption is secretly recorded by one of his students and posted on social media, quickly going viral. This catapults Vasyl into the spotlight as an internet sensation. His students, without his consent, even begin a fundraising campaign for his presidential candidacy. As the series progresses, Vasyl Petrovych (played by Zelensky) is elected as the new President of Ukraine, where he vows to root out corruption within government institutions.

Following the tremendous success of the series, Zelensky decided to turn his fictional story into a reality. In 2018, he registered a political party under the same name, *Servant of the People*. Just two months after the release of the final episode of the series, Zelensky won the Ukrainian presidential election by a landslide, becoming the 6th President of Ukraine on May 20, 2019.

The success of *Servant of the People* as both a TV series and a political movement highlights the deep connection between media and real-world politics, and Zelensky’s ability to leverage his comedic fame to shift from entertainment to leadership in the real world.