Kry v yi Rih, in the heart of Ukraine’s industrial
rust belt, is a city straight from eastern bloc
central casting. It’s also the home town of
Volodymyr Zelensky – and key to
understanding him. Almost 100 days since the
war began, Misha Zelinsky talks to the locals
who knew the man before he was president
Volodymyr Zelensky filming
his television series Servant of
the People in 2019 – he played
a teacher who becomes the
president of Ukraine