Until February 24, Umid Isabayev survived thanks to his resemblance to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. He gained popularity in 2019 because of several photos taken in the Moscow metro, which went viral on social networks. He soon became a professional imitator of Zelensky. Interviews and new projects followed each other, even going to play the role of President of Ukraine in the film. But after the Russian invasion, everything changed. Isabayev found himself trapped in an explosion in Kyiv, and Zelensky’s resemblance posed a special threat to his life. It was then that he came up with some unexpected friends.
Isabayev, 41, originally from Uzbekistan, lived in Russia, where he worked in the automotive industry before moving to Ukraine. His dream was to work as an actor and comedian, parallel to the real life of Zelensky, who starred in a comedy. Village Servant Before becoming president.
According to the Ukrainian media Unian, before the glory his acquaintances called him Dimitri. But from 2019 the whole world will address Isabayev with Zelensky.
Isabayev worked with a Russian film producer after gaining popularity. When the contract expired, Zelensky’s production company offered him a job and an apartment in Kyiv.
When the war broke out in Ukraine, a curious diplomatic network began to emerge from the parallel world to help Isabayev escape the bombing. The story was told by the characters themselves on their networks and they were interviewed by the German media, Taipei TV in Taiwan, the British tabloid The Daily Star and The Washington Post, among others.
After Zelensky began multiplying his public speeches in videos and parliaments across Europe, someone on the other side of the world thought about Isabayev’s risk. This concerned Howard X, a well-known imitator of Kim Jong Un since 2013, and who sometimes suffered in his own body like a political leader in the spotlight.
He wrote a letter to Isabayev from Hong Kong: “You have to get out of there, because who knows what might happen if Russia seizes Zelensky’s double.” Isabayev was surprised by the proposal, but received help: “There was a war and I did not know what to do.” Public transport did not work in Kyiv. Getting to the train station after the explosions was difficult and dangerous. Followed each other.
According to Zelensky’s duo on Facebook and in interviews with various media outlets, a few days after the invasion, a Russian producer he had previously hired offered him to leave the country for Russia and a well-paid contract to work in the Kremlin, but he refused. Refused.on the offer.
Meanwhile, the North Korean dictator’s duo came in contact with Steve Polon (stage name), a Polish citizen known for his resemblance to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Poland has been involved in commercials, movies and all sorts of events where Putin plays for more than 10 years, including a video clip for the British band Duran Duran. Despite his resemblance, the imitator clearly showed what sets him apart from the Russian leader: “We look alike, but we think completely differently. There is no need to kill to be respected.”
According to the Facebook page of the imitator of the North Korean dictator, Howard X and Steve Polon met each other in 2017 when they played together in an ad for an e-company that plays leaders. Since then they have coincided with each other in various events. Together they began to stretch the strings to help Isabayev cross the Polish border.
Steve Polon used his personal network of contacts to contact a member of the Ukrainian resistance who helped oust Zelensky Doppelganger from his Kiev apartment on March 8. He was first taken to a shelter about 100 km from the capital. Due to the difficult situation in the district, he hid in this place until March 11 to continue his journey by car through contacts with Putin’s duo.
After a week-long trip, he managed to reach the border checkpoint in Lviv, where he was detained because of his Uzbek nationality. Chaos reigned on the Polish border in those days, where thousands of people sought refuge in a neighboring country.
Unlike thousands of Ukrainians who failed to reach him, Umid Isabayev finally managed to move to Poland on March 12, 2022.
The Russian president’s imitator later helped Zelensky’s two settlers in a hotel in Wroclaw (Poland), the city where he lives. Then they talked for hours about their lives, the war, the conflict situation and the state of negotiations. Then they went for a beer together. “Very little is needed for a relationship, we did it in a minute,” Poland wrote on its Facebook page.
False Zelensky’s goal is to stay in Poland for the time being and find a job in that country by imitating Zelensky. As Poland tells the Daily Star, together they want to use satire as a weapon for war. The imitator of Kim Jong-un hopes that all three will unite soon.
In this parallel world, Putin and Zelensky are friends: “I see him every day. We are friends,” Putin’s two told the Washington Post.
Source: El Diario
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
