Ukrainian Trump: what the world's media writes about Zelensky

After Vladimir Zelensky became the leader of the first round of the presidential elections in Ukraine, a joke appeared on the Internet that the green card would now be renamed zelenskiy card, only it would be possible to travel around it not to America but to Russia. This is a hint of the pro-Russian vector of Zelensky. But the association with America is not accidental.

Photo: Facebook Vladimir Zelensky

Zelensky is called the Ukrainian Trump, writes "Voice of America". The chief editor of "Echo of Moscow" Alexei Venediktov, in particular, said:

“Zelensky is a Trump story in every sense. When Trump ran even before the primaries two years before the election, everyone also thought he was a clown. Actually, he behaved like a clown... a clown by profession.”

And now a bit of terminology.

“Ukrainian Trump” and “clown” are nominations, that is, ways of designating a person, phenomenon, or process. Nomination in linguistics is the naming and isolating of fragments of reality. And with the help of nominations this reality can be shaped.

For example, what happened to Crimea is called annexation in the world and in Ukraine, i.e. type of aggression, forcible annexation of territory. And in Russia - simply by joining, which forms in the audience an image of the event as legitimate, legal and logical. There may be one subject, but different meanings. As Lev Vygotsky, a researcher of language and thinking, wrote, if we are talking about Napoleon, “the winner at the Battle of Jena” is not the same as “the loser at Waterloo.”

Vladimir Zelensky as the President of Ukraine. Photo: video frame YouTube / Servant of the People

What are the nominations endow Vladimir Zelensky?

They call him a showman, an actor, even a clown. True, Zelensky himself says that he is a clown.

But most often the nomination “comedian” sounds. Both in the Russian press and in the foreign. Let's look at newspaper headlines in different languages.

Bloomberg: “Comedian in the role of president? Time to be serious. ”

Time: "Comedian leads the presidential election in Ukraine."

BBC: “Why is comedian Zelensky a real threat to Poroshenko?”

We now turn to the French-language press.

“Who is Vladimir Zelensky? A comedian who can become president?

“A comedian, a chocolate king and a gas princess are the leaders of the presidential race in Ukraine.”

Italian media:

"Voting for the President of Ukraine: the comedian Zelensky is leading."

“Elections in Ukraine: Zelensky, a comedian at the head”

And finally, some Russian headlines:

"Candidate comedian: Zelensky announced his participation in the presidential election."

“Russians are not brothers to us”: comedian Zelensky talked with ATO veterans. ”

"The comedian Vladimir Zelensky has emerged as the leader of the presidential race."

“This is not a joke: Comedian Vladimir Zelensky is the main Ukrainian politician.”

"President of joke: national project comic Zelensky"

At the same time, many note that the nomination “comedian” in foreign media seems neutral - simply as a designation of the type of activity. But in Russian for some reason it sounds humiliating.

Photo: Instagram / zelenskiy_official

Are these sensations justified? And if so, why is this happening?

This question was asked by the journalist of Voice of America to the philologist, culturologist Hasan Huseynov. He teaches the ancient Greek language, and therefore immediately drew attention to the role of the Greek root in this whole story.

“There are words that are perceived differently in different languages. Although they seem to have the same root, a common Greek root. But in the Russian language, in Russian colloquial speech, there is the word “comedian”, which is used to say that a person is strange, stupid. The media in Russia, official channels, always somehow want to make fun of Ukraine, saying that the state is not real. In fact, behind the word “comedian” there is also hidden, of course, such envy in many people that in Ukraine they can achieve something that Russia cannot achieve at all,” says the expert.

This means that in order to show a different attitude towards the same person or phenomenon, it is not even necessary to select different words. The same word can communicate different information depending on the context and execution. And someone from the word "comedian" may well be not fun, but sad.

As ForumDaily wrote earlier:

• It all started with the fact that the actor and showman Vladimir Zelensky performed instead of Petro Poroshenko New Year's Eve on one of the Ukrainian channels and announced that he would run for the presidency of Ukraine.
• One week before the elections Zelensky was in the lead in polls, conducted among Ukrainians by the Sociological Group “Rating”.
• In the first round of elections, 31 March, March 2019, two candidates took the lead — Vladimir Zelensky scored 30,2%, and current President Petro Poroshenko with a result of 15,9%. Both of them advanced to the second round, which will take place on April 21.
• Zelensky is a showman with no political experience who has become the leader of the Ukrainian presidential struggle. His weapons are pop television, social networks and “the people.” You can find out more about this candidate for the presidency.
• Zelensky and Poroshenko in facts and figures: curious information about each of the candidates.

Read also on ForumDaily:

'Left for the USA': scandal with the escaped former friend of Zelensky

How Poroshenko influenced the high rating Zelensky

"Shamefully broke the air": Poroshenko and Zelensky staged a scandal on the air. VIDEO

In Ukraine, brought the case because of the video, which Zelensky knocks truck

Zelensky vs Poroshenko: what do closed opinion polls say

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