The image of the president of Ukraine during the war: The view of the creative class

The study analyzes the results of a survey of representatives of the creative class in Odesa. The researchers conducted one of the first such studies in Ukraine. The findings show that creative class residents of Odesa consider Volodymyr Zelenskyi to be a legitimate president, despite the fact that his official term in office has ended, as stipulated by the Constitution of Ukraine. The level of trust in the president among Ukrainians fluctuates, but the majority of Odesa residents confirmed their trust in the current president. Experts would advise the president to improve his work in the following areas: human resources policy, fighting corruption, the situation at the front, domestic policy, assistance to the military/veterans, foreign policy, and the return of prisoners of war. Odesa's creative class respondents were divided on the justified expectations from the president's image in 2024 compared to 2019. The majority of respondents believe that the president has remained a populist and that he is a democratic leader, but shows some signs of authoritarianism. Respondents associate V. Zelenskyy with the image of the “President of War,” consider him a “charismatic leader,” “not a politician,” “a servant of the people,” and “the people's chosen one.” The results of the study also show that representatives of the creative class notice changes in the president's image: a tired look, a “military” style of dress, improved communication skills, emotionality, rigidity in decision-making, fewer hand gestures, and a confident gait.