TIME Names the 2022 Person of the Year: Volodymyr Zelensky and the Spirit of Ukraine

NEW YORK, Dec. 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, TIME names Volodymyr Zelensky and the Spirit of Ukraine as the 2022 Person of the Year.

The cover story, by TIME's Simon Shuster who spent nine months reporting on the invasion, during which Zelensky and his team have granted him unparalleled access to work inside the presidential compound, features an exclusive interview with President Zelensky on his private train while on a trip to the newly liberated city of Kherson on Nov. 14. Near Kherson, Shuster also reported from the bomb-proof military bunker, where Zelensky held a strategy session with officers in charge of the southern front. Read the story, which features exclusive photography by Ukrainian photographer Maxim Dondyuk: https://bit.ly/3uzfwrr 

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See the cover: Artwork by Neil Jamieson of Zelensky and more than a dozen individuals that embody the spirit of Ukraine, including Dr. Iryna Kondratova who helped mothers give birth during shelling in the hospital basement; engineer Oleg Kutkov who laid the groundwork for the essential connectivity; editor-in-chief of the Kyiv Independent Olga Rudenko; Kyiv chef Levgen Klopotenko, who converted his restaurant into a relief canteen; combat surgeon Dr. David Nott; and many more: https://bit.ly/3HizjDa

In his letter to readers, TIME Editor-in-Chief Edward Felsenthal writes, "This year's choice was the most clear-cut in memory. Whether the battle for Ukraine fills one with hope or with fear, the world marched to Volodymyr Zelensky's beat in 2022. 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… Ukraine's president was everywhere. His information offensive shifted the geo­political weather system, setting off a wave of action that swept the globe. 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."

Felsenthal continues, "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... 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." https://bit.ly/3P9WCAN 

Felsenthal on the choice: https://bit.ly/3P9WCAN  

Read about the countless individuals who were called to action in support of Ukraine: https://bit.ly/3Fw09q2 

In the cover story, TIME's Simon Shuster reveals what he learned over nine months of reporting, during which Zelensky and his team have granted him unparalleled access to work inside the presidential compound: "In April, less than two months into the invasion, Zelensky told me he had aged and changed 'from all this wisdom that I never wanted.' Now, half a year later, the transformation was starker. Aides who once saw him as a lightweight now praise his toughness. Slights that might once have upset him now elicit no more than a shrug. Some of his allies miss the old Zelensky, the practical joker with the boyish smile. But they realize he needs to be different now, much harder and deaf to distractions, or else his country might not survive."

Read TIME's exclusive interview with President Zelensky: https://bit.ly/3uzfwrr 

PLUS - TIME Names the 2022 Athlete, Entertainer, Icon, Heroes, Innovators and Breakthrough Artist of the Year:

HEROES OF THE YEAR

The Women of Iran - bit.ly/3iGQPXi  

INNOVATORS OF THE YEAR

The NASA team who built the James Webb Space Telescope - https://bit.ly/3FtBD7R

ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

Aaron Judge - bit.ly/3P8SEZ9

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR

Blackpink - https://bit.ly/3BbZNSX

ICON OF THE YEAR

Michelle Yeoh - https://bit.ly/3BfCo2K

BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Mickey Guyton - https://bit.ly/3He97to

The December 26, 2022 / January 9, 2023 Person of the Year issue of TIME goes on sale on Friday, December 16.

On December 8, TIME will host a reception featuring meaningful conversations with leaders whose impact defined 2022 at the Plaza Hotel in New York City. The event, which is presented by Premier Partner American Family Insurance and Signature Partner Montblanc will feature an interview with 2022 TIME Icon of the Year Michelle Yeoh, a musical performance by 2022 TIME Breakthrough Artist of the Year Mickey Guyton, and more.

MEDIA CONTACT

Kristin Matzen, TIME

Kristin.Matzen@time.com

About TIME

TIME is the 99-year-old global media brand that reaches a combined audience of more than 100 million around the world through its iconic magazine and digital platforms. With unparalleled access to the world's most influential people, the immeasurable trust of consumers and partners globally, and an unrivaled power to convene, TIME's mission is to tell the essential stories of the people and ideas that shape and improve the world. Today, TIME also includes the Emmy Award®-winning film and television division TIME Studios, a significantly expanded live events business built on the powerful TIME100 and Person of the Year franchises, an industry-leading web3 division, an award-winning branded content studio, the website-building platform TIME Sites, the sustainability and climate-action platform TIME CO2, and more.

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SOURCE TIME