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Marko Zolotarov

@markozolot

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Trilingual with one accent 🇺🇦🇨🇦 |📍Ottawa

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A calling is not a title. It is the posture of the heart. taken in Ottawa Capital Of Canada by @markozolot

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4 days ago

Last week in Toronto, Canada, Ukraine, and Norway brought international partners together for Pathways to Peace, working to return Ukrainian children deported by Russia, along with detained civilians and prisoners of war.

Anita Anand, Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, led the session on deported children. I met her at the Congress of Ukrainian Canadians last November, and it’s encouraging to see that commitment carried forward.

Every child returned is a family reunited and a future restored. 🇺🇦🇨🇦 taken in Toronto, Canada by @markozolot

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8 days ago

It was an honour to meet President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Toronto and to have the opportunity to speak with him directly during the meeting with the Ukrainian Canadian community.

The gathering carried particular significance as we reflect on 135 years of Ukrainians in Canada and look ahead to a new chapter in Canada-Ukraine relations following the signing of the Canada-Ukraine Declaration for a 100-Year Partnership.

It was meaningful to hear President Zelenskyy speak about Ukraine, its future, and the importance of Canada’s continued partnership and support. His leadership and determination continue to be a powerful reminder of the responsibility that comes with serving Ukraine and strengthening the ties between our two countries.

The Canada-Ukraine relationship has been built by generations before us. It is now our responsibility to carry it forward.

Grateful to have been part of this important moment.

🇺🇦🇨🇦 taken in Toronto Canada by @markozolot

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a month ago

Some cities you visit. Chicago, you remember. I’ll be back. taken in Chicago, Illinois by @markozolot

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2 months ago

Some rooms you imagine for a long time before you walk into them.

I had a dream, and this year it came true. GLS2026.

For years I listened to @craiggroeschel before I ever sat in the room. This year he spoke on the invisible language of leadership, the patterns we lead with before we say a word.

Meeting Craig and Amy in person, after years of listening.

I came to study leadership from the stage. Her talk on the micro-habits of high-impact leaders showed me it is often relational. @vanessavanedwards

She said it plainly: to be more likeable, you can start from saying to someone, “I like you.”

So I told her exactly that. Watching her and her husband together showed me the lesson in practice.

Thousands of leaders, one question underneath the noise: how do we actually live well.

Some rooms only matter because of who you walk into them with. Grateful this was my dad.

@arthurbrooks spoke on finding purpose in an age of emptiness, and named the thing underneath our distraction.

He reminded me a leader’s job is not to perform strength, but to help others carry it.

Grateful to listen and meet David Ashcraft, CEO of the Global Leadership Network, whose vision carries this to leaders worldwide.

And to Robb and Lois, executive directors of GLN Canada, thank you for making it possible for us to be here.

A pastors’ breakfast with Craig I won’t forget. Some lessons land better over a table than from a stage.

Then I got to share my own testimony on camera, what this experience meant to me.

And none of it alone. Proud of what GLN Team Canada carried into this year together. taken in Global Leadership Network by @markozolot

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2 months ago

The quote hits different when you actually have people like this in your life. I hope you do too. taken in Reflections of Life by @markozolot

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2 months ago

July vacation recap. I’m so grateful for the opportunity rest and be with my family and friends. taken in British Columbia, Canada by @markozolot

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2 months ago

Three years ago I stopped hiking. I told myself it wasn’t the priority. There is a war at home, and everything else can wait.

It turns out “everything else” included me.

The war is true. It also became somewhere to hide. At some point in those years I stopped believing I’d earned the right to feel good, and my body was the first thing I let go of.

Coming back wasn’t a transformation. It was a long, unglamorous fight to build a routine and hold onto it, and almost all of that fight happened in my head. The same discipline carried into the work I actually care about. It’s hard to advocate for anything from empty.

This hike was the test I’d been avoiding. Not another workout, but the thing itself, the thing I’d walked away from. Nineteen kilometres and just over a thousand metres of climbing. I prepared for it. I showed up. I finished it. And I didn’t do it alone.

The hike wasn’t the point. It was the proof. What I actually climbed out of was the belief that I couldn’t.

I’m grateful to God for the years it took, not only for the day at the top. The slow part was the part that changed me.

This is the strongest I’ve been in years, and I’m proud of that. Not because it’s the finish line, but because I know what it took to get here.

If you’ve been putting yourself last for reasons that felt unarguable at the time: you can start again.

📍 Cascade Pass and Sahale Arm Trail, North Cascades National Park taken in Cascade Pass/Sahale Arm, North Cascades National Park by @markozolot

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3 months ago

Meeting Olga and Ksenia of SUPERHUMANS last November left an impression I keep coming back to.

Their team provides prosthetics, reconstructive surgery, rehabilitation, and psychological support for adults and children affected by Russia’s war.

What stood out wasn’t only the scale of the need. It was the quality of the response: world-class clinical care paired with genuine innovation, helping people rebuild their lives with dignity and hope.

Congratulations on opening another centre in Odesa. This is what leadership under pressure looks like.🇺🇦

Learn more here @superhumans.center taken in Ottawa Capital Of Canada by @markozolot

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3 months ago

Almost a year in Ottawa. Twelve months of living and working at the heart of Canadian democracy has taught me more than I expected, about this city, this country, and myself. I’ve watched history unfold from a front-row seat, grown into work that matters to me, and kept showing up for Ukraine every step of the way. Grateful for how far this year has taken me, and looking forward to continuing the journey. taken in Ottawa Capital Of Canada by @markozolot

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3 months ago

Bonne fête du Canada! It’s been almost 10 years since this became my second home. Here I got my education, built long-lasting relationships, and had experiences I never could have imagined. I’m grateful for who Canada has shaped me into. This is only the beginning. taken in Canada by @markozolot

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3 months ago

Honoured to moderate this year’s Vyshyvanka Day reception on Parliament Hill alongside Members of Parliament, ambassadors, and community leaders as we celebrated Ukrainian heritage, identity, and unity.

As Ukraine continues to defend its freedom and culture, the vyshyvanka remains more than tradition - it is a symbol of resilience, dignity, and national memory. This year also marks 10 years of Vyshyvanka Day celebrations in Canada, reflecting the enduring contribution of the Ukrainian community to Canada’s multicultural fabric.

Grateful to the Vyshyvanka Association and its President, Volodymyr Palagniuk, for their leadership and long-standing work in establishing this tradition on Parliament Hill and across Canada.

З Днем Вишиванки! 🇺🇦

📸 Maryna Shum Photography taken in Parliament of Canada/Parlement du Canada by @markozolot

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5 months ago