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Zelensky is TIME magazine's '2022 Person of the Year'

They also wanted to acknowledge the "spirit of Ukraine,” embodied by various individuals who altruistically helped during the invasion of Ukraine.

Zelensky, en u

(Archivo / Cordon Press)

Published by
Rosana Rábago Sainz

TIME magazine unveiled on Wednesday the 2022 Person of the Year. The magazine has divided this year's award between two people. The first recipient is the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky while the "spirit" of the country he represents got the second part of the award for the continuous resistance it shows in the face of the Russian invasion.

"Whether the battle for Ukraine fills one with hope or with fear, Volodymyr Zelensky galvanized the world in a way we haven’t seen in decades," argued the TIME editor, Edward Felsenthal who, in turn, assured that this year's decision "has never been so clear":

For proving that courage can be as contagious as fear, for stirring people and nations to come together in defense of freedom, for reminding the world of the fragility of democracy – and of peace – Volodymyr Zelensky and the spirit of Ukraine are TIME’s 2022 Person of the Year.

TIME highlights Zelensky's decision to fight from Ukraine

The magazine, which year after year decides which person influenced the world the most, published two articles explaining why it awarded the 2022 Person of the Year recognition to both Zelensky and the "spirit" of Ukraine. In the case of the president, the magazine highlights in his biography that he did not seem to show any indication that he would resist the Russian invasion. However, his decision to stand up to Putin was essential for the development of the war and for bringing together the different countries that now shared a single mission:

In the weeks after Russian bombs began falling on Feb. 24, his decision not to flee Kyiv but to stay and rally support was fateful. From his first 40-second Instagram post on Feb. 25 – showing that his Cabinet and civil society were intact and in place – to daily speeches delivered remotely to the likes of houses of Parliament, the World Bank, and the Grammy Awards, Ukraine’s President was everywhere.
In a world that had come to be defined by its divisiveness, there was a coming together around this cause, around this country that some outside it might not be able to find on a map. Zelensky has been laser-focused on keeping the world’s eyes on Ukraine. The former entertainer understood innately that attention is the planet’s most valuable currency and all but cornered the global market.

Klopotenko, Nott and Payavska, representatives of the "Ukrainian spirit"

TIME not only recognized the courage of the Ukrainian president, but devoted a second article to talk about the people who, according to the magazine, represent the "spirit of Ukraine": "the most stirring answers to Zelensky’s imperative came from individuals. Governments and blocs, like companies, have their own interests, to which Putin’s aggression was not only morally offensive but also threatening. And true selflessness, after all, requires a self." Journalists Karl Vick and Yasmeen Serhan explained this and more in the article dedicated to the Ukrainian spirit.

The article went on to speak of the "countless people inside and outside the country" who, according to them, represented this movement. Ievgen Klopotenko, a famous Ukrainian chef who prepared more than a thousand free meals a day during the first weeks of the invasion for the refugees in Lviv; David Nott, a Welsh surgeon who traveled to the Ukraine to teach local doctors how to treat war wounds; or Julia Payavska, a doctor who treated anyone who needed treatment day and night in Mariupol, including a wounded enemy soldier, are examples of this Ukrainian "spirit.”

"The impact of this story on 2022 is the essence of what Person of the Year was designed to capture, the idea that fateful events on the global stage are shaped—for better and worse—by the talents, priorities, fears, and foibles of individual human beings," said the editor of TIME.

Iran's women, 'Heroes of the Year'

The U.S. magazine also wanted to commemorate the struggle of women in Iran for freedom and against the oppression of Ali Khamenei's regime. It named them the winners of the Heroes of the Year category.

The movement got a boost after the death of Mahsa Amini, who was arrested by the Morality Police for not wearing the Islamic hijab properly. The death of the young woman provoked serious riots that have been going on for three months now, where more than 400 people died and at least 2,000 others were accused of different crimes while participating in the protests. Of these 2,000 people, 11 were sentenced to death.

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