War and Vogue. Why a cover with Elena Zelensk is a powerful psychological weapon

In a light blouse with a tailed edge, black pants and ballet flats, the first lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenskaya sits on the stairs against the backdrop of marble columns of sandbrapped bags. Her elbows rest on her knees, wrists intertwined, all the pose, as well as the facial expression, is conveyed by fatigue, as after a long and exhausting day, but at the same time. To the right of the photo Signature: "Portrait of bravery. Lady Elena Zelenskaya ”, and top with capital letters Vogue.

The Ukrainian president's wife first appeared on the Ukrainian Vogue. A photographer was held by a photographer that has become a legend thanks to Annie Leibovitz. Julia Pellas, Fashion, director of Ukrainian Vogue, stylized the shooting. Things of Ukrainian designers were chosen for Elena's photo shoots, which continue to work in war - PUUSTOVIT, The Coat, Kachorovska, Better, Six, Hvoya.

The cover is not characteristic of Ukrainian fashion editions and is mostly unclear to Ukrainian society, but it is very consistent with the spirit of time and because it is happening in Ukraine now. It is too much about reality, as it is, without gloss. The fact is that the task of the cover of the American VOGUE not to show a conditionally beautiful woman, but to tell the story of why this (in this case, the little known to the general public) appeared on the cover.

And because of the story, convey the context and illuminate a particular topic. Elena Zelenskaya became the first wife of not the American president to appear (even Digital) Vogue USA. Not even all local ladies had such an honor. The tradition of photo shoots of US presidents' wives for this gloss has been going on for almost a century. The first on the pages of the magazine was the photo of Lu Gouver's wife Herbert Gouver in 1929.

However, it was not about the cover, the wives of the presidents only distinguished the turn within the magazine to present the "support and resistance" of the newly elected President to society. This interview was interviewed by Elizabeth Truman, who, in contrast to her active predecessor, Eleanor Roosevelt chose the tactics of maximum privacy and avoided communication with the press. However, other presidential wives in beautiful dresses "decorated" Vogue pages. It lasted to Hillary Clinton.

Her personal qualities, and the fact that even with the cadence of her husband, society saw more political potential in her than simply accompanied for the President, brought her photo to the cover under the heading "Extraordinary Hillary Clinton" in 1998. Hillary then became a symbol of changes taking place in society.

Michelle Obama posed for the cover three times, but not only did Melania Trump not hit the cover, but also interview her Vogue USA team refused to in any way support her husband's policies and the image of the "trophy wife" of Melania herself. And it was also a demonstration of the position of the publication. The wife of the current White House Head, Dr.

Jill Biden, the only one of the first ladies who, despite the established tradition, did not leave previous activities for exclusively charitable projects. Its portrait, also Annie Leibovitz's rabbots, was on the cover in August 2021. The personality of Zelenskaya in this case goes to the background. Its person on the cover is a symbol, a collective image of a Ukrainian who suddenly found itself in the middle of the war and has to "take out" everything for the sixth month in a row.

Did she go on someone with war? No! But it will be defended. Did she want everything? And God saved. I think few of the Ukrainian women would change their peaceful life for trenches, berets and weapons, serving ammunition or translating their lives from scratch abroad for the safety of children. But each, having clasped his teeth, holds his front now and tries to hold his own roof in parallel so that he does not finally leave. Tired and not glossy? But not that word.

But the enemy did not leave the choice. Such is the context of this photo. As Diana Klochko's artistic artist noted in her post, the reference to this photo was the clown, which sits Henri Toulouse-Laracish-a woman who chose a male profession in the XIX century. Clowns in the portrait allows yourself not to pose, not to squeeze a smile, but to be as it is, exhausted, not graceful, not feminine, not decorated, in work clothes. Doesn't anyone remind? Every first.

The similarity is exacerbated by selecting a photo on the Vogue cover. Light top, dark bottom, comfortable shoes - a uniform that masks personality when a person becomes just a function to perform tasks. Temporarily. Like these bags behind the heroine's back. But here the next layer opens-referred to the personality of Zelenskaya, to her previous activity of the editor of the jokes of the Studio Quarter 95, the only woman among male screenwriters.

Fringe on the blouse - referred to the clown of the heroine of the painting by Toulouse -Lotrack and at the same time an element of personality on a uniform that a person can afford in languages ​​when he acts as one detail of a large whole. A kind of postrony is a cocktail of meanings and reality.

Why is the cover with Zelensky a powerful psychological weapon aimed at the west? Because it explains accessible to the American taxpayer, who is not very interested in international policy, why America is allocated so much money to Ukraine and what is happening here at all. And to those who understand, but went on vacation, will not forget about the war unleashed by Russia in Ukraine, even on the coast of conditional Dominicanic.

Why is it a small but important victory of Ukraine? Because Zelenskaya was on the cover of American Vogue and only because she is a Ukrainian. It is a signal to all of us that the democratic world with Ukraine and supports us at all levels. Therefore, it is worth making this success, praising yourself, and continuing to work for victory, everyone is in their place.

Despite all the layers of the meanings, an important symbol of support and the star composition of the team, which worked on this story, the cover with Zelensky blew up Ukrainian social networks, as HIMARS hostile ammunition. It has been detouring for the third day. In response to Hate and the advice of one part of society on how to sit the first lady, the other launches Challenge #SitllikeAgirl. Life is raging.

Such waves of network resistance, the trigger of which was the cover of American Vogue, is not only a Ukrainian summons. At the beginning of last year, no less burning in the same America because of the cover with the State Secretary of Kamala Harris in informal image and sneakers against the background of bright pink drapery.

Kamala Harris is the first woman of the US Secretary of State and one of the most influential women in the world, in fact, she was invited to become the Cover Story Heroine. The cover conveyed this message to the pink background - a symbol of a new wave of feminism, and an informal image that Harris chose for a photoset. But social networks sports shoes and the whole image as a whole seemed unworthy positions and disrespect for society, and the tone of Harris's face is too highlighted.