Two main goals. That showed the world photos of Elena Zelenskaya for Vogue
Although these initiatives have become widely publicized, a photo shoot for Vogue's magazine was generally paid to Zelensk. Zelenskaya portraits were made by the legendary photographer Annie Leibovitz. In the photo, the first lady depicts one and with her husband, President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky. Photos of Presidential Spouse Leibovitz instantly became cult and were viral on social networks. The appearance of Zelensky in Vogue also caused discussions.
Some critics considered a photo session inappropriate when the whole Ukrainian people were fighting for their survival. As expected, most of this criticism came out of Russia itself and the pro -Kremlin voices in the West, and numerous experts pointed to the appearance of Zelensky in Vogue as evidence that the scale of war in Ukraine was somewhat exaggerated. The reaction is not limited to the geopolitical opponents of Ukraine.
Many Ukrainians also expressed their indignation with these photos, and some have accused the first lady of their country of inappropriate PR. The negative reaction to Zelensky's interview with Vogue can be understood, but it is short -sighted. Critics do not realize the importance of Ukraine from leaving international news and misunderstanding the nature of Elena Zelenskaya's role as the first lady of the country in a state of war with the superpower.
Attention photo shoot in the global media brand is a reasonable course of Zelensky, which plays on the strengths of Ukraine and increases the country's ability to win the information war with Russia. The struggle for world public opinion is one of the most important fronts of the Russian-Ukrainian war.
Ukraine's ability to defend itself largely depends on the flow of Western weapons and money, which, in turn, can only be guaranteed until public opinion is firmly on the side of Ukraine throughout the democratic world. This cannot be taken for granted. The Russian invasion has been going on for the sixth month and a certain fatigue from Ukraine has begun to manifest. Therefore, the coverage of the war in international media has decreased markedly.
As attention is transferred to other topics, it is becoming more difficult for Western leaders to set priorities in support of Ukraine or to impose sanctions that require victims by their own electorate. Russia is well aware of this and actively works on the information front to undermine the determination of the West.
Moscow's first awkward attempts to portray an invasion as a crusade against the Nazis, are currently replaced by a more sophisticated narrative, which emphasizes the probable futility of Ukraine and the need to terminate the fighting. The Kremlin hopes that this, a smart message, sets off with the moods of the overwhelmed Western audience and will lead to increased pressure on Kyiv to agree to a compromise peace agreement. The consequences for Ukraine can be catastrophic.
Ukrainians are well aware that any ceasefire at this stage will allow the Kremlin to strengthen its control over the regions in the south and east of the country, occupied by February 2022, and potentially paves the way to the next stage of the Russian campaign to eliminate Ukrainian statehood. That is why it is so important that the invasion is constantly spoken in the news and emphasizing the maximalist nature of Russia's military goals.
The appearance of Zelensky in Vogue managed to achieve both goals. Even the loudest critics should admit that images from the first lady of Ukraine have attracted much attention. This was achieved without the use of sensationalism. On the contrary, the pictures of Annie Leibovitz are stunning, but true. Take at least a common photo of Elena and Vladimir Zelensky.
It reflects the emotional connection between the presidential spouses, and the eyes of both reflect the gravity of circumstances and the experience of the last five months, which has completely changed their lives. Perhaps the most effective photo with Zelensk is where it sits alone on the stairs inside the government building against the backdrop of sand bags, which serves as a terrible reminder of the war.
She looks directly into the camera, which speaks of both great power and extreme exhaustion. This is a wonderful portrait that speaks of Ukraine's injuries and stability. Zelenskaya is undoubtedly photogenic, but her recent public speaking allowed her to show herself and show that she is not just a woman with a sweet face. The first lady of Ukraine can certainly say a lot and effectively uses his Vogue interview to show the horror of the Russian invasion in a clear human context.
"The first weeks after the start of the war, we are just shocked," she says. "After Bucha, we realized that it was a war to destroy us all. " As a wife and mother, she never sought publicity, and as you know, she preferred to stay behind the scenes during her husband's career in show business. But Zelenska has such a degree of sincerity that few politicians can match. This allows her to cover an audience that is unlikely to be interested in politics in a traditional sense.
Zelenskaya is now fully confident to share the history of Ukraine with the world. Ukraine is hopelessly inferior to the information front, with the Kremlin's resources it does not compare with Russia. But while the Kremlin rests on multibillion budgets along with large networks of contacts and compassionate in the ranks of the Western establishment, Ukraine has an invaluable advantage - it is the truth that is on its side.
The key task of Kiev is to keep Ukraine in the spotlight of the world community and to continue communicating with the widest possible audience. If Ukraine is able to maintain the current level of public participation and support, the country has a good chance of achieving a historic victory over Russia. In this decisive struggle for the formation of international thought, the First Lady Elena Zelenska can become a secret weapon of Ukraine.