Time Person of the Year
Volodymyr Zelensky and the Spirit of Ukraine have been nominated as Time Person of the Year 2022, following the conflict with Russia and the country’s display of resolution, courage and unity which has bee admired by all around the world.
Person of the Year is an annual issue of the American news magazine and website Time, featuring a person, a group, an idea, or an object that "for better or for worse ... has done the most to influence the events of the year". For so many it represents a sole figure of brilliance and recognition, past winners such as Dr Martin Luther King, Greta Thunberg, and David Ho. But, not all accredited with this prestigious honour are so righteous. Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin speak to the calibre of some past nominees. Entrants that symbolize acts of evil, suffering and corruption. Vladimir Putin himself, the president of Russia who started the conflict, was Times’ 2007 Person of the Year. But this time around Time opted for a felicitous group. The Ukrainian people have demonstrated their character beautifully, in a way so contradictory to their own circumstance.
In 2014-armed conflict erupted in eastern Ukraine following Russia’s annexation of Crimea. The previous year, protests in Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, against Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych’s decision to reject a deal for greater economic integration with the EU were met with a violent crackdown by state security forces. The protests widened, escalating the conflict, and President Yanukovych fled the country in February 2014.
One month later, in March 2014, Russian troops took control of the Ukrainian region of Crimea. Putin cited the need to protect the rights of Russian citizens and Russian speakers in Crimea and southeast Ukraine. Russia then formally annexed the peninsula after Crimeans voted to join the Russian Federation in an internationally disputed local referendum.
Armed conflict in the regions quickly broke out between Russian-backed forces and the Ukrainian military. Russia denied military involvement, but both Ukraine and NATO reported the build-up of Russian troops and military equipment near Donetsk. The conflict transitioned to an active stalemate, with regular shelling and skirmishes occurring along frontlines separating Russian- and Ukrainian-controlled eastern border regions.
Skip 6 years of ceasefire and weapon withdrawal negations, NATO military support in the region, economic sanctions on Russia, and months of intelligence gathering and observations of Russian troop movements and we arrive at February 2022. In which we saw the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces. In that time there has been over 16,000 civilian casualties, with 6,700 killed. Meanwhile over 6 million civilians have been forced to flee the country with a further 7 million displaced within it.
Despite this Volodymyr Zelensky led his country through the war with Russia with unfounded confidence, refusing evacuation despite international appeals for the 44-year-old and his family to be moved to a safe location. Zelenskyy defiantly stayed in Kyiv with his defence forces. Stating he was "not hiding" and "not afraid of anyone" as he led his nation's response. Words that have personified the Ukrainian spirit in the face of danger.
So how does Volodymyr Zelensky rule? His number one priority became the defence of Ukraine by all possible - and seemingly impossible means. His presence in Kyiv and his guidance of the defence campaign encouraged Ukrainians in all regions and all walks of life to come together in national unity and in the practice of resilience. His digital omnipresence in Ukrainian homes and in Western public spaces created the effect of global confidence in himself and an unprecedented solidarity with Ukraine.
Time's editor-in-chief, Edward Felsenthal, said the magazine's decision was "the most clear-cut in memory". He said: "Whether the battle for Ukraine fills one with hope or with fear, the world marched to Volodymyr Zelenskyy's beat in 2022." Proving that courage can be as contagious as fear, for stirring people and nations to come together in defence of freedom, for reminding the world of the fragility of democracy - and of peace - Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the spirit of Ukraine are Time's 2022 Person of the Year
Here at Big Help Project we have witnessed first-hand the effect of this war on Ukrainian people. We offer a support group, English lessons and even host a Ukrainian choir here at Boaler Street. But, amongst the stories of suffering, displaced families and terrible tragedy. We have had the privilege of experiencing the Ukrainian spirit directly and it is a story of love, unity and peace. Big Help Project is so incredibly proud of yesterday’s announcement and would like to congratulate our Ukrainian service users and Volodymyr Zelenskyy for receiving this honour.
Slava Ukrayini! Heroyam slava!