Servant of the People (2015 TV series)
Servant of the People is a Ukrainian political satire comedy series created and produced by Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy stars as Vasyl Petrovych Holoborodko, a high school history teacher in his thirties, who was unexpectedly elected president of Ukraine after finding instant fame when a student recorded a video of him delivering a profane rant against government corruption in his country and uploaded it to the internet. The series ran for three seasons between 2015 and 2019, and a film adaptation was released in 2016. The series was produced by Kvartal 95, a studio founded by Zelenskyy.
In 2018, the studio became involved in Ukrainian politics when a political party of the same name as the show was registered. While this was initially done to prevent others from using the name for "cynical political purposes", it quickly became active in Ukrainian politics, with Zelenskyy running as its candidate in the real-life 2019 Ukrainian presidential election against the incumbent Petro Poroshenko. Zelenskyy was elected president following a landslide victory in the second round election, winning 73% of the vote. He was sworn in as the president of Ukraine on 20 May, 2019.
Plot
Vasyl Petrovych Holoborodko is a high school history teacher who rises to political prominence after a video of his outburst against government corruption goes viral. Without his knowledge, his students organize a crowdfunding campaign that secures his candidacy in Ukraine's presidential election, resulting in his victory.Upon taking office, he is unprepared for the demands of political power. He rejects the traditional privileges of his position, choosing to live modestly and continuing to travel utilizing various forms of public transport. He works with a small team of initially skeptical but gradually loyal advisers to push reforms.
As President, Holoborodko confronts systemic corruption and oligarchic influence. He dismisses bodyguards, declines bribes, and objects when his family tries to exploit his new position for personal gain. He also exposes a corrupt prime minister by revealing a black ledger detailing insider transactions during a televised debate. Dream sequences and hallucinations of historical figures such as Abraham Lincoln and Che Guevara guide him on his journey.
Later seasons develop into ensemble narratives, showing Holoborodko and his cabinet navigating bureaucratic resistance, securing IMF support, and passing legislation against corruption.
Development
Production
Concept: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Andriy Yakovlev, Oleksiy Kiryushchenko, Serhiy Shefir, Borys Shefir Scriptwriters: Andriy Yakovlev, Oleksiy Kiryushchenko, Yuriy Kostyuk, Yuriy Mykulenko, Dmytro Hryhorenko, Mykhailo Savin, Dmytro Kozlov, Oleksandr BraginDirected by: Oleksiy KiryushchenkoCinematographer: Serhiy KoshelProduction designer: Vadim ShinkaryovComposer: Andriy KiryushchenkoSoundtrack: Dmitry Shurov, Potap, and NastyaMake-up artist: Nina Kremeshna-LavrinenkoCostume designer: Veronika YatsenkoExecutive producer: Victor YarishCreative producer: Yuri KostyukProducers: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Borys Shefir, Serhiy Shefir, Andriy Yakovlev, Oleksiy KiryushchenkoRelease
Servant of the People originally aired on the 1+1 channel in Ukraine. with all episodes being posted for free on YouTube. Select countries would later receive the first season on Netflix in 2017. However, in 2021, Netflix lost licensing rights. In March 2022, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Netflix re-licensed the first season, and in May 2022, added the second and third seasons for over 33 countries. The Netflix release combines the first two episodes into one in both seasons one and two, resulting in 23 episodes instead of 24 for both seasons.Belarusian TV channel Belarus-1 began broadcasting the show in evening prime time on November 11, 2019. The Russian channel TNT aired the pilot episode of the show's first series on December 11, 2019, claiming it did so as "a marketing move to raise awareness of the platform". TNT cut a scene from the episode in which president-elect Holoborod'ko asked if Russian President Vladimir Putin wore a Hublot watch, a joke referring to a well-known anti-Putin chant in Ukraine.
In the United States, HITN presents the series in a Spanish-language version. Jewish Life Television carries the series in its original Russian and Ukrainian languages, with English subtitles.
Sequels
A film adaptation of the series, Servant of the People 2, was released in 2016. The second season utilized footage from the film to expand on its plot and was released in 2017, bringing the movie into the series' main continuity.Controversies
The show has been criticized for its political nature due to it effectively functioning as political advertising for Volodymyr Zelensky. Kvartal 95 also registered a political party of the same name as the show, and their televised campaign announcements have been viewed as strategic political moves rather than mere promotion of a TV show.Language use in Servant of the People has generated further controversy. As a primarily Russian-language series, the show has ignited debate over cultural identity. Many Ukrainians found it troubling to see a major national series nominally set in Ukraine rendered largely in Russian.
Internationally, the series has been deemed too politically provocative for reconciliation. In Russia, it was pulled from broadcast—an act viewed as state-driven censorship. Russian media has mocked the series as a symbol of dangerous ideas taking root in Ukrainian society, inverting the concept of service to power.