Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin Борис Николаевич Ельцин
1st President of Russia
In office July 10, 1991 – December 31, 1999
Prime Minister	Himself Egor Gaidar (acting) Viktor Chernomyrdin Sergey Kiriyenko Viktor Chernomyrdin (acting) Yevgeny Primakov Sergei Stepashin Vladimir Putin
Vice President	Alexander Rutskoy (1991–1993) Office abolished
Preceded by	Office created
Succeeded by	Vladimir Putin
1st Prime Minister of Russia
In office November 6, 1991 – June 15, 1992
Succeeded by	Yegor Gaidar
Born	February 1, 1931(1931-02-01) Butka, Sverdlovsk Oblast, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Died	April 23, 2007 (aged 76) Moscow, Russia
Nationality	Russian
Political party	CPSU (prior 1990) Non-partisan (since 1990)
Spouse	Naina Yeltsina
Religion	Russian Orthodox
Signature

Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin (Russian: Борис Николаевич Ельцин (help·info); IPA: [bɐˈrʲis nʲɪkɐˈlaɪvʲɪtɕ ˈjelʲtsɨn]) (February 1, 1931 - April 23, 2007) was the first President of the Russian Federation, serving from 1991 to 1999. The President of Russia (Президент России or the President of the Russian Federation, Президент Российской Events 48 BC - Battle of Dyrrhachium, Julius Caesar barely avoids a catastrophic defeat to Pompey in Macedonia. Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia. Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) Yegor Timurovich Gaidar (Его́р Тиму́рович Гайда́р) (born March 19, 1956) is a Russian economist and politician and was Prime Minister Viktor Stepanovich Chernomyrdin ( Ви́ктор Степа́нович Черномы́рдин) (born 9 April 1938 is a Russian politician Sergei Vladilenovich Kiriyenko (Серге́й Владиле́нович Кирие́нко (born July 26, 1962) is a Russian politician Viktor Stepanovich Chernomyrdin ( Ви́ктор Степа́нович Черномы́рдин) (born 9 April 1938 is a Russian politician Yevgeny Maksimovich Primakov (Евгений Максимович Примаков born October 29 1929 is a Russian Politician, a former KGB general Sergei Vadimovich Stepashin (Серге́й Вади́мович Степа́шин (born March 2 1952, Lüshunkou China) is a Russian Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (; born 7 October 1952 in Leningrad, USSR; now Saint Petersburg, Russia was the second President of Russia Alexander Vladimirovich Rutskoy (Russian Александр Владимирович Руцкой) (born September 16, 1947) is a Russian Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) For the constitution of the Imperial Russia see Russian Constitution of 1906 The current Constitution of the Russian Federation Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (; born 7 October 1952 in Leningrad, USSR; now Saint Petersburg, Russia was the second President of Russia The Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation, (Председатель Правительства Российской Федерации unofficially called the Prime-Minister Events 355 - Roman Emperor Constantius II promotes his cousin Julian to the rank of Caesar, entrusting him with Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. Events 763 BC - Assyrians record a Solar eclipse that will be used to fix the Chronology of Mesopotamian history Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) Yegor Timurovich Gaidar (Его́р Тиму́рович Гайда́р) (born March 19, 1956) is a Russian economist and politician and was Prime Minister Events 1327 - Teenaged Edward III is crowned King of England, but the country is ruled by his mother Queen Year 1931 ( MCMXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Sverdlovsk Oblast (Свердло́вская о́бласть Sverdlovskaya oblast) is a federal subject of Russia (an Oblast) located The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Events 215 BC - A temple is built on the Capitoline Hill dedicated to Venus Erycina to commemorate the Roman defeat at Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending The Russian people (Русские— Russkie) are an East Slavic Ethnic group, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries In Politics, an independent is a Politician who is not Affiliated with any Political party. Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) Naina Iosifovna Yeltsina (Наина Иосифовна Ельцина Née Girina Гирина born March 14 1932) is the widow of the first See also Eastern Orthodox Church Structure and organization The Slavic Orthodox Church is organized in a hierarchical structure Russian ( transliteration:,) is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages Events 1327 - Teenaged Edward III is crowned King of England, but the country is ruled by his mother Queen Year 1931 ( MCMXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 215 BC - A temple is built on the Capitoline Hill dedicated to Venus Erycina to commemorate the Roman defeat at Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The President of Russia (Президент России or the President of the Russian Federation, Президент Российской

Yeltsin came to power with a wave of high expectations. On 12 June 1991 he was elected president of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic with 57% of the vote, becoming the first popularly elected president. Events 1381 - Peasants' Revolt: in England, rebels arrive at Blackheath. Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. But Yeltsin never recovered his popularity after a series of economic and political crises in Russia in the 1990s. The Yeltsin era was marked by widespread corruption, economic collapse, and enormous political and social problems. By the time he left office, Yeltsin had an approval rating of two percent by some estimates. ^[1]

Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in December 1991, Yeltsin, vowing to transform Russia's socialist command economy into a free market economy, endorsed a program of price liberalization and privatization. The Soviet Union 's collapse into independent nations began early in 1985 The economy of the Soviet Union was based on a system of State ownership, administrative planning Socialist competition and free labour A market economy is a realized Social system based on the Division of labour in which the prices of Goods and Services are determined in a Russian privatization was the reform consisting in Privatization of state-owned industrial assets that took place in Russia in the 1990s during the presidency of As a result, a handful of people were able to enrich themselves while arguably stamping out competitors. ^[2]

In August 1991, Yeltsin won international plaudits for casting himself as a democrat and defying the August coup attempt of 1991 by the members of Soviet government opposed to perestroika. The 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt ( August 19 - August 21, 1991) also known as the August Putsch or August Coup was a three-day (Перестройка) is the Russian term (now used in English for the economic reforms introduced in June 1987 by the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev He left office widely unpopular with the Russian population as an ineffectual and ailing autocrat. An autocracy is a Form of government in which the Political power is held by a single self-appointed ruler ^[3] He either acted as his own prime minister (until June 1992) or appointed men of his choice, regardless of parliament. His confrontations with parliament climaxed in the October 1993 Russian constitutional crisis, when Yeltsin called up tanks to shell the Russian White House, blasting out his opponents in parliament. The Russian constitutional crisis of 1993 began on 21 September when Russian President Boris Yeltsin dissolved the country's legislature ( Congress of People's The White House (Белый дом also known as the Russian White House, is a Government building in Moscow. Later in 1993, Yeltsin imposed a new constitution with strong presidential powers, which was approved by referendum in December. For the constitution of the Imperial Russia see Russian Constitution of 1906 The current Constitution of the Russian Federation A referendum was held in Russia on 12 December 1993 It was initiated by President Boris Yeltsin after the fall of the Supreme Soviet.

Just hours before the first day of 2000, Yeltsin made a surprise announcement of his resignation, leaving the presidency in the hands of Vladimir Putin. Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (; born 7 October 1952 in Leningrad, USSR; now Saint Petersburg, Russia was the second President of Russia

Contents 1 Early life 2 CPSU member 3 President of the RSFSR 4 President of the Russian Federation 4.1 Yeltsin's first term 4.1.1 Radical reforms 4.1.2 Confrontation with parliament 4.1.3 Chechnya 4.1.4 Privatization and the rise of "the oligarchs" 4.1.5 The Yeltsin/Senator Helms interchange 4.1.6 1996 presidential election 4.2 Yeltsin's second term 4.2.1 Resignation 5 Alleged alcoholism and neurological disorder 6 Life after resignation 6.1 Passion for tennis 7 Death 7.1 Reaction 8 References 8.1 Books 9 See also 10 Footnotes 11 External links

Early life

Boris Yeltsin was born in the village of Butka, in Talitsky District of Sverdlovsk Oblast, Russia. Sverdlovsk Oblast (Свердло́вская о́бласть Sverdlovskaya oblast) is a federal subject of Russia (an Oblast) located Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending His father, Nikolay Yeltsin, was convicted of anti-Soviet agitation in 1934 and sentenced to hard labour in a gulag for three years. Article 58 of the Russian SFSR Penal Code was put in force on February 25, 1927 to arrest those suspected of counter-revolutionary activities The Gulag was the government agency that administered the penal labor camps of the Soviet Union. ^[4] Following his release he remained unemployed for a period of time and then worked in construction. His mother, Klavdiya Vasilyevna Yeltsina, worked as a seamstress.

Boris Yeltsin studied at Pushkin High School in Berezniki in Perm Krai. Pushkin High School is a comprehensive school in the city of Berezniki in Perm Krai Oblast in Russia. Berezniki (Березники́ is a city in Perm Krai, Russia, situated on the banks of the Kama River, it lies in the Ural mountains Perm Krai (Пе́рмский край Permsky kray) is a federal subject of Russia (a Krai) that came into existence on December 1 He was fond of sports (in particular skiing, gymnastics, volleyball, track and field, boxing and wrestling) despite losing the thumb and index finger of his left hand when he and some friends sneaked into a Red Army supply depot, stole several grenades, and tried to dissect them. Snow skiing is a group of sports utilizing Skis as primary equipment Gymnastics is a Sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength agility and coordination Volleyball is an Olympic team sport in which two teams of 6 active players (5 normal players and one 'libero' are separated by a net that is usually four feet Boxing (sometimes also known as English boxing or pugilism) is a Combat sport in which two participants generally of similar weight, Wrestling is the act of physical engagement between two people in which each wrestler strives to get an advantage over or control of the opponent The Red Army ( Russian: Рабоче-Крестьянская Красная Армия R aboche- K rest'yanskaya K rasnaya A rmiya ^[5]

Yeltsin received his higher education at the Ural State Technical University in Sverdlovsk, majoring in construction, and graduated in 1955. Ural State Technical University is a Higher education institute in Yekaterinburg, Sverdlovsk Oblast, Russian Federation. Yekaterinburg (Екатеринбу́рг also romanized Ekaterinburg, formerly Sverdlovsk) is a major city in the central part of Russia In the fields of Architecture and Civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the Building or assembling of Infrastructure The subject of his degree paper was "Television Tower".

From 1955 to 1957 he worked as a foreman with the building trust Uraltyazhtrubstroy and from 1957 to 1963 he worked in Sverdlovsk, and was promoted from construction site superintendent to chief of the Construction Directorate with the Yuzhgorstroy Trust. In 1963 he became chief engineer, and in 1965 head of the Sverdlovsk House-Building Combine, responsible for sewerage and technical plumbing. He joined the ranks of the CPSU nomenklatura in 1968 when he was appointed head of construction with the Sverdlovsk Regional Party Committee. The nomenklatura were a small elite subset of the general population in the Soviet Union and other Eastern Bloc countries who held various key administrative positions In 1975 he became secretary of the regional committee in charge of the region's industrial development. In 1976 the Politburo of the CPSU promoted him to the post of the first secretary of the CPSU Committee of Sverdlovsk Oblast (effectively he became the head of one of the most important industrial regions in the USSR), he remained in this position till 1985. The Politburo ( in Russian: Политбюро, full Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, abbreviated Sverdlovsk Oblast (Свердло́вская о́бласть Sverdlovskaya oblast) is a federal subject of Russia (an Oblast) located

CPSU member

Yeltsin was a member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) from 1961 to July 1990, and began working in the Communist administration in 1968. He later commented on his communist views:

"I sincerely believed in the ideals of justice propagated by the party, and just as sincerely joined the party, made a thorough study of the charter, the programme and the classics, re-reading the works of Lenin, Marx and Engels. Communism is a Socioeconomic structure that promotes the establishment of an egalitarian, classless, stateless Society based Friedrich Engels (28 November 1820 – 5 August 1895 was a German social scientist and philosopher, who "

In 1977 as party boss in Sverdlovsk, Yeltsin—on orders from Moscow—ordered the destruction of the Ipatiev House where the last Russian tsar had been killed by Bolshevik troops. Yekaterinburg (Екатеринбу́рг also romanized Ekaterinburg, formerly Sverdlovsk) is a major city in the central part of Russia Ipatiev House (Russian Дом Ипатьева was a merchant's house in Yekaterinburg where the former Emperor Nicholas II of Russia and several members of his The Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists ( Большевик Большевист (singular, derived from bolshe, "more" were a faction The Ipatiev House was demolished in one night, July 27, 1977. Ipatiev House (Russian Дом Ипатьева was a merchant's house in Yekaterinburg where the former Emperor Nicholas II of Russia and several members of his Events 1214 - Battle of Bouvines: In France, Philip II of France defeats John of England. Also 1977 (album by Ash. Year 1977 ( MCMLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays ^[6] Also during Yeltsin's stay in Sverdlovsk, a CPSU palace was built which was named "White Tooth" by the residents. ^[7]. During this time, Yeltsin developed connections with key people in the Soviet power structure.

He was appointed to the Politburo, and was also "Mayor" of Moscow (First Secretary of the CPSU Moscow City Committee) from December 24, 1985 to 1987. The Politburo ( in Russian: Политбюро, full Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, abbreviated Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of Events 563 - The Byzantine church Hagia Sophia in Constantinople is dedicated for the second time after being destroyed by Earthquakes Year 1985 ( MCMLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar) He was promoted to these high rank positions by Mikhail Gorbachev and Yegor Ligachev, who presumed that Yeltsin would be their man. Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev ( Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachyov;; born 2 March 1931 in Privolnoye Stavropol Krai) is a Russian politician Yegor Kuzmich Ligachev (Его́р Кузьми́ч Лигачёв born November 29, 1920) is a Russian Politician, who was a high-ranking Yeltsin was also given a country house (dacha) previously occupied by Gorbachev. Dacha ( is a Russian word for seasonal or year-round second homes located in the Exurbs of Soviet and Russian cities During this period Yeltsin portrayed himself as a reformer and populist (for example, he took a trolleybus to work), firing and reshuffling his staff several times. His initiatives became popular among Moscow residents.

In 1987, after a confrontation with hardliner Yegor Ligachev and Mikhail Gorbachev about Gorbachev's wife, Raisa, meddling in affairs of the state, Yeltsin was sacked from his high ranking party positions. Yegor Kuzmich Ligachev (Его́р Кузьми́ч Лигачёв born November 29, 1920) is a Russian Politician, who was a high-ranking Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev ( Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachyov;; born 2 March 1931 in Privolnoye Stavropol Krai) is a Russian politician On October 21, 1987 at the plenary meeting of the Central Committee of the CPSU, Yeltsin, without prior approval from Gorbachev, lashed out at the Politburo. Events 1512 - Martin Luther joins the theological faculty of the University of Wittenberg. Year 1987 ( MCMLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar) He expressed his discontent with both the slow pace of reform in society and the servility shown to the General Secretary, then asked to resign from the Politburo, adding that the City Committee would decide whether he should resign from the post of first secretary of the Moscow City Party Committee. In his reply, Gorbachev accused Yeltsin of "political immaturity" and "absolute irresponsibility", and at the plenary meeting of the Moscow City Party Committee proposed relieving Yeltsin of his post of first secretary. Nobody backed Yeltsin. Criticism of Yeltsin continued on November 11, 1987 at the meeting of the Moscow City Party Committee. Events 308 - The Congress of Carnuntum: Attempting to keep peace within the Roman Empire, the leaders of the Tetrarchy declare Year 1987 ( MCMLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar) After Yeltsin admitted that his speech had been a mistake, he was fired from the post of first secretary of the Moscow City Committee. He was demoted to the position of first deputy commissioner for the State Committee for Construction. After being fired, Yeltsin was hospitalized and later (confirmed by Nikolai Ryzhkov) attempted suicide. Nikolai Ivanovich Ryzhkov ( Russian: Николай Иванович Рыжков Nikolaj Ivanovič Ryžkov; born September 28, 1929) was He was perturbed and humiliated but began plotting his revenge. ^[8] His opportunity came with Gorbachev's establishment of the Congress of People's Deputies. ^[9] He recovered, and started intensively criticizing Gorbachev, highlighting the slow pace of reform in the Soviet Union as his major argument.

Yeltsin's criticism of the Politburo and Gorbachev led to a smear campaign against him, in which examples of Yeltsin's awkward behavior were used against him. An article published in Pravda described him as being drunk at a lecture during his visit to the United States, an allegation which appeared to be confirmed by a TV account of his speech. Pravda (Правда "The Truth" was a leading Newspaper of the Soviet Union and an official organ of the Central Committee of the However, popular dissatisfaction with the regime was very strong, and these attempts to smear Yeltsin only added to his popularity. In another incident, Yeltsin fell from a bridge. Commenting on this event, Yeltsin hinted that he was helped to fall from the bridge by the enemies of perestroika, but his opponents suggested that he was simply drunk. (Перестройка) is the Russian term (now used in English for the economic reforms introduced in June 1987 by the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev

President of the RSFSR

In March 1989, Yeltsin was elected to the Congress of People's Deputies as the delegate from Moscow district and gained a seat on the Supreme Soviet. The Associated Press ( AP) is an American News agency. The AP is a Cooperative owned by its contributing Newspapers radio Alexander Vasilyevich Korzhakov ( Александр Васильевич Коржаков (born January 31 1950 in Moscow) was a KGB Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of The Supreme Soviet of the USSR (Верхо́вный Сове́т СССР Verkhóvnyj Sovét SSSR) was the highest legislative body in the Soviet Union in

On May 29, 1990, he was elected chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Russian SFSR (RSFSR), the post he held until July 10, 1991. Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian defeats the Sassanid army in the Battle of Ctesiphon, under the walls of the Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) Events 48 BC - Battle of Dyrrhachium, Julius Caesar barely avoids a catastrophic defeat to Pompey in Macedonia. Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. He was supported by both democratic and conservative members of the Supreme Soviet, which sought power in the developing political situation in the country. The Supreme Soviet of the USSR (Верхо́вный Сове́т СССР Verkhóvnyj Sovét SSSR) was the highest legislative body in the Soviet Union in A part of this power struggle was the opposition between power structures of the Soviet Union and the RSFSR. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 In an attempt to gain more power, on 12 June 1990, the Congress of People's Deputies of the RSFSR adopted a declaration of sovereignty and Yeltsin quit the CPSU in July 1990. Events 1381 - Peasants' Revolt: in England, rebels arrive at Blackheath. Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar)

On 12 June 1991, Yeltsin won 57% of the popular vote in the democratic presidential elections for the Russian republic, defeating Gorbachev's preferred candidate, Nikolai Ryzhkov. Events 1381 - Peasants' Revolt: in England, rebels arrive at Blackheath. Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. Presidential elections were held in the Russian Federation on June 12, 1991. Nikolai Ivanovich Ryzhkov ( Russian: Николай Иванович Рыжков Nikolaj Ivanovič Ryžkov; born September 28, 1929) was In his election campaign, Yeltsin criticized the "dictatorship of the center", but did not suggest the introduction of a market economy. Instead, he said that he would put his head on the railtrack in the event of increased prices. Yeltsin took office on July 10. Events 48 BC - Battle of Dyrrhachium, Julius Caesar barely avoids a catastrophic defeat to Pompey in Macedonia.

On August 18, 1991, a coup against Gorbachev was launched by the government members opposed to perestroika headed by Vladimir Kryuchkov. Events 293 BC - The oldest known Roman temple to Venus is founded starting the institution of Vinalia Rustica. Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. The 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt ( August 19 - August 21, 1991) also known as the August Putsch or August Coup was a three-day Vladimir Alexandrovich Kryuchkov ( Russian: Владимир Александрович Крючков) ( 29 February 1924 &ndash 23 November Gorbachev was held in Crimea while Yeltsin raced to the White House of Russia (residence of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR) in Moscow to defy the coup. Crimea (kraɪˈmiːə or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea (Крим Автономна Республіка Крим Avtonomna Respublika Krym; Крым The White House (Белый дом also known as the Russian White House, is a Government building in Moscow. The White House was surrounded by the military but the troops defected in the face of mass popular demonstrations. Yeltsin responded to the coup by making a memorable speech from the turret of a tank. By August 21 most of the coup leaders had fled Moscow and Gorbachev was "rescued" from Crimea and then returned to Moscow. Events 1192 - Minamoto Yoritomo becomes Seii Tai Shōgun and the De facto ruler of Japan. Crimea (kraɪˈmiːə or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea (Крим Автономна Республіка Крим Avtonomna Respublika Krym; Крым Yeltsin was subsequently hailed by his supporters around the world for rallying mass opposition to the coup.

Although restored to his position, Gorbachev's powers were now fatally compromised. Neither union nor Russian power structures heeded his commands as support had swung over to Yeltsin. Through the fall of 1991, the Russian government took over the union government, ministry by ministry.

On November 6, 1991, Yeltsin issued a decree banning the Communist Party throughout the RSFSR. Events 355 - Roman Emperor Constantius II promotes his cousin Julian to the rank of Caesar, entrusting him with Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar.

In early December 1991, Ukraine voted for independence from the Soviet Union. Ukraine (Україна Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/ is a country in Eastern Europe. A week later, on December 8, Yeltsin met with Ukrainian president Leonid Kravchuk and the leader of Belarus, Stanislav Shushkevich, in Belovezhskaya Pushcha, where the three presidents announced the dissolution of the Soviet Union and that they would establish a voluntary Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in its place. Events 1609 - Biblioteca Ambrosiana opens its reading room the second public library of Europe. For hockey player see Igor Kravchuk Leonid Makarovych Kravchuk (Леонід Макарович Кравчук born 10 January 1934) is a Belarus ( Belarusian Беларусь / Biełaruś is a Landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered by Russia to the north and east Stanislau Stanislavavich Shushkevich ( Stanisłaŭ Stanisłavavič Šuškievič, Belarusian: Станісла́ў Станісла́вавіч Шушке́віч (b Białowieża Primaeval Forest, known as Belaveskaya Pushcha (Белавеская пушча or Belovezhskaya Pushcha in Belarus The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 According to Mikhail Gorbachev, the president of the Soviet Union at that time, Yeltsin kept the plans of the Belovezhskaya meeting in strict secrecy and the main goal of the dissolution of the Soviet Union was to get rid of Gorbachev, who by that time had started to recover his position after the events of August. Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev ( Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachyov;; born 2 March 1931 in Privolnoye Stavropol Krai) is a Russian politician The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Mikhail Gorbachev has also accused Yeltsin of violating the people's will expressed in the referendum in which the majority voted to keep the Soviet Union. Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev ( Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachyov;; born 2 March 1931 in Privolnoye Stavropol Krai) is a Russian politician The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991

On December 24, the Russian Federation took the Soviet Union's seat in the United Nations. Events 563 - The Byzantine church Hagia Sophia in Constantinople is dedicated for the second time after being destroyed by Earthquakes Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security The next day, President Gorbachev resigned and the Soviet Union ceased to exist, thereby ending the world's largest and most influential socialist state. The Soviet Union 's collapse into independent nations began early in 1985 Economic relations between the former Soviet republics were severely compromised. Millions of ethnic Russians found themselves in the newly formed foreign countries.

President of the Russian Federation

Yeltsin's first term

Radical reforms

Just days after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Boris Yeltsin resolved to embark on a program of radical economic reform, with the aim of restructuring Russia's economic system—converting the world's largest command economy into a free-market one. During early discussions of this transition, Yeltsin's advisers debated issues of speed and sequencing, with an apparent division between those favoring a rapid approach and those favoring a gradual or slower approach.

In late 1991 Yeltsin turned to the advice of Western economists, and Western institutions such as the IMF, the World Bank, and the U.S. Treasury Department, who had developed a standard policy recipe for transition economies in the late 1980s. Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. The International Monetary Fund ( IMF) is an International organization that oversees the Global financial system by following the Macroeconomic The World Bank is an internationally supported Bank that provides financial and technical assistance to developing countries for development programs (e The United States Department of the Treasury is a Cabinet department and the Treasury of the United States government. This policy recipe came to be known as the "Washington Consensus" or "shock therapy," a combination of measures intended to liberalize prices and stabilize the state's budget. The term Washington Consensus was initially coined in 1989 by John Williamson to describe a set of ten specific economic policy prescriptions that he considered to constitute In Economics, shock therapy refers to the sudden release of price and currency controls withdrawal of state subsidies and immediate trade liberalization within a country usually Such measures had been attempted in Poland, and advocates of "shock therapy" felt the same could be done in Russia. Some Russian policymakers were skeptical that this was the way to go, but the approach was favored by Yeltsin's deputy, Yegor Gaidar, a 35-year-old Russian economist inclined toward radical reform. Yegor Timurovich Gaidar (Его́р Тиму́рович Гайда́р) (born March 19, 1956) is a Russian economist and politician and was Prime Minister

On January 2, 1992, Yeltsin, acting as his own prime minister, ordered the liberalization of foreign trade, prices, and currency. Events 366 - The Alamanni cross the frozen Rhine River in large numbers invading the Roman Empire. Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) The Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation, (Председатель Правительства Российской Федерации unofficially called the Prime-Minister At the same time, Yeltsin followed a policy of 'macroeconomic stabilization,' a harsh austerity regime designed to control inflation. Under Yeltsin's stabilization program, interest rates were raised to extremely high levels to tighten money and restrict credit. To bring state spending and revenues into balance, Yeltsin raised new taxes heavily, cut back sharply on government subsidies to industry and construction, and made steep cuts to state welfare spending.

In early 1992, prices skyrocketed throughout Russia, and deep credit crunch shut down many industries and brought about a protracted depression. The reforms devastated the living standards of much of the population, especially the groups dependent on Soviet-era state subsidies and welfare entitlement programs. Welfare is financial assistance paid to people by governments Entitlement is a guarantee of access to benefits because of rights or by agreement through Law. ^[11] Through the 1990s, Russia's GDP fell by 50 percent, vast sectors of the economy were wiped out, inequality and unemployment grew dramatically, while incomes fell. Hyperinflation, caused by the Central Bank of Russia's loose monetary policy, wiped out a lot of personal savings, and tens of millions of Russians were plunged into poverty. Certain figures in this article use Scientific notation for readability The Russian people (Русские— Russkie) are an East Slavic Ethnic group, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries Poverty (also called penury) is deprivation of common necessities that determine the quality of life including food clothing shelter and safe Drinking water, and ^[12][13]

Some economists argue that in the 1990s Russia suffered an economic downturn more severe than the United States or Germany had undergone six decades earlier in the Great Depression. ^[14] Russian commentators and even some Western economists, such as Marshall Goldman, widely blamed Yeltsin's Western-backed economic program for the country's disastrous economic performance in the 1990s. Marshall Goldman is an expert on the economy of the former Soviet Union. Many politicians began to quickly distance themselves from the program. In February 1992, Russia's vice president, Alexander Rutskoy denounced the Yeltsin program as "economic genocide. Alexander Vladimirovich Rutskoy (Russian Александр Владимирович Руцкой) (born September 16, 1947) is a Russian "^[15] By 1993 conflict over the reform direction escalated between Yeltsin on the one side, and the opposition to radical economic reform in Russia's parliament on the other.

Confrontation with parliament

Main article: 1993 Russian constitutional crisis

Also throughout 1992, Yeltsin wrestled with the Supreme Soviet and the Congress of People's Deputies for control over government, government policy, government banking and property. The Russian constitutional crisis of 1993 began on 21 September when Russian President Boris Yeltsin dissolved the country's legislature ( Congress of People's The Supreme Soviet of the USSR (Верхо́вный Сове́т СССР Verkhóvnyj Sovét SSSR) was the highest legislative body in the Soviet Union in In the course of 1992, the speaker of the Russian Supreme Soviet, Ruslan Khasbulatov, came out in opposition to the reforms, despite claiming to support Yeltsin's overall goals. Ruslan Imranovich Khasbulatov ( Russian: Руслан Имранович Хасбулатов) (born November In December 1992, the 7th Congress of People's Deputies succeeded in turning down the Yeltsin-backed candidacy of Yegor Gaidar for the position of Russian prime minister. The Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation, (Председатель Правительства Российской Федерации unofficially called the Prime-Minister Eventually, on December 14, Viktor Chernomyrdin, seen as a compromise figure, was confirmed in the office. Events 1287 - St Lucia's flood: The Zuider Zee sea wall in the Netherlands collapses killing over 50000 people Viktor Stepanovich Chernomyrdin ( Ви́ктор Степа́нович Черномы́рдин) (born 9 April 1938 is a Russian politician

The conflict escalated on 20 March 1993 when Yeltsin, in a televised address to the nation, announced that he was going to assume certain "special powers" in order to implement his program of reforms. Events 1600 - The Linköping Bloodbath takes place on Maundy Thursday in Linköping, Sweden. Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) In response, the hastily-called 9th Congress of People's Deputies attempted to remove Yeltsin from presidency through impeachment on 26 March 1993. Events 1026 - Pope John XIX crowns Conrad II as Holy Roman Emperor. Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) Yeltsin's opponents gathered more than 600 votes for impeachment, but fell 72 votes short of the required two-thirds majority. ^[16] On 21 September 1993 Yeltsin announced in a televised address his decision to disband the Supreme Soviet and Congress of People's Deputies by decree. Events 1217 - The Estonian tribal leader Lembitu of Lehola was killed in a battle against Teutonic Knights. Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar)

In his address Yeltsin declared his intent to rule by decree until the election of the new parliament and a referendum on a new constitution, triggering the constitutional crisis of October 1993. The Russian constitutional crisis of 1993 began on 21 September when Russian President Boris Yeltsin dissolved the country's legislature ( Congress of People's On the night after Yeltsin's televised address, the Supreme Soviet declared Yeltsin removed from presidency, by virtue of his breaching the constitution, and Vice-President Alexander Rutskoy was sworn in as the acting president.

Between September 21–24, Yeltsin was confronted by significant popular unrest, encouraging the defenders of the parliament. Moscow saw what amounted to a spontaneous mass uprising of anti-Yeltsin demonstrators numbering in the tens of thousands marching in the streets resolutely seeking to aid forces defending the parliament building. The demonstrators were protesting the new and terrible living conditions under Yeltsin. Since 1989 GDP had declined by half. Corruption was rampant, violent crime was skyrocketing, medical services were collapsing, food and fuel were increasingly scarce and life expectancy was falling for all but a tiny handful of the population; moreover, Yeltsin was increasingly getting the blame.

By early October, Yeltsin had secured the support of Russia's army and ministry of interior forces. In a massive show of force, Yeltsin called up tanks to shell the Russian White House, Russia's parliament building, blasting out his opponents. The White House (Белый дом also known as the Russian White House, is a Government building in Moscow.

As Supreme Soviet was dissolved, in December 1993 were held elections to the newly established parliament, State Duma. The State Duma (Государственная дума (Gosudarstvennaya Duma common abbreviation Госдума (Gosduma in the Russian Federation is the Candidates identified with Yeltsin's economic policies were overwhelmed by a huge anti-Yeltsin vote, the bulk of which was divided between the Communist Party and ultra-nationalists. The Communist Party of the Russian Federation (Коммунистическая партия Российской Федерации = КПРФ Transliteration of Russian into English|translit The referendum, however, held at the same time, approved the new constitution, which significantly expanded the powers of the president, giving Yeltsin a right to appoint the members of the government, to dismiss the prime minister and, in some cases, to dissolve the Duma. This article is about the government position For other uses see Prime Minister (disambiguation. ^[17]

Chechnya

Main article: First Chechen War

In December 1994, Yeltsin ordered the military invasion of Chechnya in an attempt to restore Moscow's control over the separatist republic. The First Chechen War also known as the War in Chechnya was fought between Russia and Chechnya from 1994 to 1996 and resulted in Chechnya's The Chechen Republic (ˈʧɛʧɨn rɪˈpʌblɨk Чече́нская Респу́блика Chechenskaya Respublika; Нохчийн Республика Noxçiyn Respublika Nearly two years later Yeltsin withdrew federal forces from the devastated Chechnya under a 1996 peace agreement brokered by Alexander Lebed, then Yeltsin's security chief. Alexander Ivanovich Lebed (Алекса́ндр Ива́нович Ле́бедь ( April 20, 1950, Novocherkassk &ndash April 28, The peace deal allowed Chechnya greater autonomy but not full independence.

The decision to launch the war in Chechnya dismayed many in the West. TIME magazine wrote:

"Then, what was to be made of Boris Yeltsin? Clearly he could no longer be regarded as the democratic hero of Western myth. Time (trademarked in capitals as TIME) is a weekly American Newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and But had he become an old- style communist boss, turning his back on the democratic reformers he once championed and throwing in his lot with militarists and ultranationalists? Or was he a befuddled, out-of-touch chief being manipulated, knowingly or unwittingly, by – well, by whom exactly? If there was to be a dictatorial coup, would Yeltsin be its victim or its leader?" [9]

Privatization and the rise of "the oligarchs"

Main article: Privatization in Russia

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Yeltsin promoted privatization as a way of spreading ownership of shares in former state enterprises as widely as possible to create political support for his economic reforms. Russian privatization was the reform consisting in Privatization of state-owned industrial assets that took place in Russia in the 1990s during the presidency of Mikhail Borisovich Khodorkovsky (Михаи́л Бори́сович Ходорко́вский born June 26, 1963) is a Russian businessman a former Russian privatization was the reform consisting in Privatization of state-owned industrial assets that took place in Russia in the 1990s during the presidency of In the West, privatization was viewed as the key to the transition from communism in Eastern Europe, ensuring a quick dismantling of the Soviet-era command economy to make way for 'free market reforms. ' In the early 1990s, Anatoly Chubais, Yeltsin's deputy for economic policy, emerged as a leading advocate of privatization in Russia. Anatoly Borisovich Chubais (Анато́лий Бори́сович Чуба́йс (born June 16, 1955, Borisov, Belorussian SSR, Soviet

In late 1992, Yeltsin launched a program of free vouchers as a way to give mass privatization a jump-start. Under the program, all Russian citizens were issued vouchers, each with a nominal value of around 10,000 rubles, for purchase of shares of select state enterprises. Although each citizen initially received a voucher of equal face value, within months most of them converged in the hands of intermediaries who were ready to buy them for cash right away.

In 1995, as Yeltsin struggled to finance Russia's growing foreign debt and gain support from the Russian business elite for his bid in the spring 1996 presidential elections, the Russian president prepared for a new wave of privatization offering stock shares in some of Russia's most valuable state enterprises in exchange for bank loans. The program was promoted as a way of simultaneously speeding up privatization and ensuring the government a much-needed infusion of cash for its operating needs.

However, the deals were effectively giveaways of valuable state assets to a small group of tycoons in finance, industry, energy, telecommunications, and the media who came to be known as "oligarchs" in the mid-1990s. Business oligarch is a near-synonym of the term " Business magnate " By summer 1996, substantial ownership shares over major firms were acquired at very low prices by a handful of people. Boris Berezovsky, who controlled major stakes in several banks and the national media, emerged as one of Yeltsin's most prominent backers. Boris Abramovich Berezovsky (Бори́с Абра́мович Березо́вский (also known as Platon Elenin (born January 23, 1946) is a Russian Along with Berezovsky, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Vladimir Potanin, Vladimir Bogdanov, Rem Viakhirev, Vagit Alekperov, Alexander Smolensky, Victor Vekselberg, Mikhail Fridman and a few years later Roman Abramovich, were habitually mentioned in the media as Russia's oligarchs. Mikhail Borisovich Khodorkovsky (Михаи́л Бори́сович Ходорко́вский born June 26, 1963) is a Russian businessman a former This article is about Vladimir Potanin For other uses see Potanin. Vladimir Leonidovich Bogdanov ( Владимир Леонидович Богданов in Russian) (born on May 28[[ 951]] in Tyumen Oblast, Rem Viakhirev ( Рэм Вяхирев in Russian) (born in 1934 is a former Chairman of the Russian Natural gas and pipeline Vahid Alakbarov (Vahid Yusuf oğlu Ələkbərov (Вагит Юсуфович Алекперов born September 1, 1950 in Baku, Azerbaijan Alexander Pavlovich Smolensky (Алексáндр Пáвлович Смолéнский (born July 6 1954 and the founder and President of one of the largest private Viktor Felixovich Vekselberg (Виктор Феликсович Вексельберг born April 14, 1957, Drohobych, Ukraine, Soviet Mikhail Maratovich Fridman Михаи́л Мара́тович Фри́дман born 21 April 1964) or Mikhail Friedman Roman Arkadyevich Abramovich (rɐˈman ɐrˈkadʲjevʲɪtɕ ɐbrɐˈmovʲɪtɕ Рома́н Арка́дьевич Абрамо́вич born on 24 October 1966

The Yeltsin/Senator Helms interchange

On December 5, 1991, Senator Jesse Helms, ranking member of the Minority Staff of the U. Events 63 BC - Cicero reads the last of his Catiline Orations. Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. Jesse Alexander Helms Jr (October 18 1921 – July 4 2008 was a five-term Republican United States Senator from North Carolina who served as chairman S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, wrote to Boris Yeltsin concerning U. S. servicemen who were POWs or MIAs. "The status of thousands and thousands of American servicemen who are held by Soviet and other Communist forces, and who were never repatriated after every major war this century, is of grave concern to the American people. "

Yeltsin would ultimately respond with a statement made on June 15, 1992, while being interviewed aboard his presidential jet on his way to the United States, "Our archives have shown that it is true — some of them were transferred to the territory of the U. Events 763 BC - Assyrians record a Solar eclipse that will be used to fix the Chronology of Mesopotamian history Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) S. S. R. and were kept in labor camps. . . We can only surmise that some of them may still be alive. " On December 10, 1991, just five days after Senator Helms had written Yeltsin concerning American servicemen, he again wrote to Yeltsin, this time concerning KAL 007. Events 1041 - Empress Zoe of Byzantium elevates her adoptive son to the throne of the Eastern Roman Empire as Michael V Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar.

"One of the greatest tragedies of the Cold War was the shoot-down of the Korean Airlines Flight 007 by the Armed Forces of what was then the Soviet Union on September 1, 1983. Korean Air Lines Flight 007, also known as KAL 007, was a Korean Air Lines civilian Airliner shot down by Soviet jet interceptors Events 462 - Possible start of first Byzantine indiction cycle. Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar) . . The KAL-007 tragedy was one of the most tense incidences of the entire Cold War. However, now that relations between our two nations have improved substantially, I believe that it is time to resolve the mysteries surrounding this event.

Clearing the air on this issue could help further to improve relations [10]. " In March of 1992, Yeltsin would hand over KAL 007's Black Box without its tapes to Korean President Roh Tae-Woo at the end of the plenary session of the Korean National Assembly with this statement, "We apologize for the tragedy and are trying to settle some unsolved issues. Roh Tae-woo (born December 4, 1932 in Daegu, South Korea) is a former ROK Army general and politician "

Yeltsin would ultimately respond on January 8, 1992 by handing over to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) of the United Nations what the Russians had for so many years denied possessing: the tapes of the KAL 007's "Black Box" (its Digital Flight Data Recorder and Cockpit Voice Recorder) [11]. Events 871 - Battle of Ashdown - Ethelred of Wessex defeats a Danish invasion army Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) A digital system uses discrete (discontinuous values usually but not always Symbolized Numerically (hence called "digital" to represent information for The flight data recorder ( FDR) or Black Box is a Flight recorder used to record specific Aircraft performance parameters A Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR is a Flight recorder used to record the audio environment in the flightdeck of an aircraft for the purpose of investigation of accidents and incidents

The openness of Yeltsin about POW/MIA and KAL 007 matters may also have signaled his willingness for more openness to the West. In 1992, which he labelled the "window of opportunity", he admitted that the Sverdlovsk anthrax leak of April 2, 1979 had been caused as a result of a mishap at a military facility. The Sverdlovsk anthrax leak is an incident when Spores of Anthrax were accidentally released from a military facility in the city of Sverdlovsk (formerly and now Events 68 - Galba, Governor of Hispania, names himself legatus senatus populique Romani, breaking the line of Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar) In the anthrax outbreak at Sverdlovsk, about 850 miles (1,368 km) east of Moscow, about 94 people were affected and 64 died. The Russian government had previously maintained the cause was contaminated meat.

1996 presidential election

In February 1996, Yeltsin announced that he would seek a second term in the spring 1996 Russian presidential election. Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) Presidential elections were held in Russia in 1996. Incumbent Russian President Boris Yeltsin was seeking a four-year term The announcement followed weeks of speculation that Yeltsin was at the end of his political career because of his health problems and growing unpopularity in Russia. At the time Yeltsin was recuperating from a series of heart attacks. Domestic and international observers also noted his occasionally erratic behaviour. When campaigning opened at the beginning of 1996, Yeltsin's popularity was close to zero. ^[18] Meanwhile, the opposition Communist Party of the Russian Federation had already gained ground in parliamentary voting on 17 December 1995, and its candidate, Gennady Zyuganov, had a strong grass roots organization, especially in the rural areas and small towns, and appealed effectively to memories of the old days of Soviet prestige on the international stage and the socialist domestic order. The Communist Party of the Russian Federation (Коммунистическая партия Российской Федерации = КПРФ Transliteration of Russian into English|translit Events 546 - Gothic War (535–554: The Ostrogoths of King Totila Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 Gennady Andreyevich Zyuganov or Guennady Ziuganov ( Генна́дий Андре́евич Зюга́нов) (born 26 June 1944) is a Russian ^[19]

Panic struck the Yeltsin team when opinion polls suggested that the ailing president could not win; some members of his entourage urged him to cancel presidential elections and effectively rule as dictator from then on. Instead, Yeltsin changed his campaign team, assigning a key role to his daughter, Tatyana Dyachenko, and appointing Chubais as campaign manager. Tatyana Dyachenko (Татьяна Борисовна Дьяченко born 1960 also Tatiana, also Diyachenko or Jachenko, now Yumashev) is [12] Chubais, acting as both Yeltsin's campaign manager and adviser on Russia's privatisation programme, used his control of the privatisation programme as an instrument of Yeltsin's reelection campaign.

In the spring of 1996, Chubais and Yeltsin recruited a team of a handful of financial and media oligarchs to bankroll the Yeltsin campaign and guaranteed favorable media coverage the president on national television and in leading newspapers. ^[20] In return, Chubais allowed well-connected Russian business leaders to acquire majority stakes in some of Russia's most valuable state-owned assets. ^[21] The media painted a picture of a fateful choice for Russia, between Yeltsin and a "return to totalitarianism. " The oligarchs even played up the threat of civil war if a Communist were elected president.

Yeltsin campaigned energetically, dispelling concerns about his health, and maintained a high media profile. To boost his popularity, Yeltsin promised to abandon some his more unpopular economic reforms, boost welfare spending, end the war in Chechnya, and pay wage and pension arrears. Yeltsin's campaign also got a boost from the announcement of a $10 billion loan to the Russian government from the International Monetary Fund. ^[22]

Zyuganov, who lacked Yeltsin's resources and financial backing, saw his strong initial lead whittle away. After the first round on June 16 Yeltsin appointed a highly popular candidate Alexander Lebed, who came in third in the first round, Secretary of the Security Council of Russia, sacked at the latter's behest defence minister Pavel Grachev and on June 20 sacked a number of his siloviki, one of them being his chief of presidential security Alexander Korzhakov, viewed by many as Yeltsin's éminence grise. Events 1487 - Battle of Stoke Field, the last dying breath of the Wars of the Roses. Alexander Ivanovich Lebed (Алекса́ндр Ива́нович Ле́бедь ( April 20, 1950, Novocherkassk &ndash April 28, The Security Council of the Russian Federation (SCRF ( Russian: Совет Безопасности Российской Федерации) is a consultative body Pavel Sergeyevich Grachev (Па́вел Серге́евич Грачё́в is a Russian Army General and the former Defence Minister of the Russian Federation Events 451 - Battle of Chalons: Flavius Aetius ' defeats Attila the Hun. A Silovik (силови́к plural siloviks or siloviki силовики́ from a Russian word for force) is a Russian politician Alexander Vasilyevich Korzhakov ( Александр Васильевич Коржаков (born January 31 1950 in Moscow) was a KGB An éminence grise ( French for " grey eminence " is a powerful advisor or decision-maker who operates secretly or unofficially

In the run-off on July 3, with a turnout of 68. Events 324 - Battle of Adrianople Constantine I defeats Licinius, who flees to Byzantium. 9%, Yeltsin won 53. 8% of the vote and Zyuganov 40. 3%, with the rest (5. 9%) voting "against all". A Protest vote is a Vote cast in an Election to demonstrate the caster's unhappiness with the choice of candidates or refusal of the current political system ^[23]

In his second term, Yeltsin was unable to follow through on most of his campaign promises, except for ending the Chechen war, which was halted for most of the period.

Yeltsin's second term

In July 1996, Yeltsin was re-elected as president with financial support from influential business oligarchs who owed their wealth to their connections with Yeltsin's administration. William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III, August 19 1946 served as the forty-second President of the United States Business oligarch is a near-synonym of the term " Business magnate " Despite only gaining 35% of the first round vote in the 1996 elections, Yeltsin defeated his communist rival Gennady Zyuganov with 54% in the runoff election. Gennady Andreyevich Zyuganov or Guennady Ziuganov ( Генна́дий Андре́евич Зюга́нов) (born 26 June 1944) is a Russian Later that year, Yeltsin underwent an emergency quintuple heart bypass surgery and remained in the hospital for months. Coronary artery bypass surgery, also coronary artery bypass graft surgery, and colloquially heart bypass or bypass surgery is a surgical procedure

During Yeltsin's presidency, Russia received US$ 40 billion in funds from the IMF and other international lending organizations. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been The International Monetary Fund ( IMF) is an International organization that oversees the Global financial system by following the Macroeconomic However, his opponents allege that most of these funds were stolen by people from Yeltsin's circle and placed in foreign banks. ^[24][25][26]

In 1998, a political and economic crisis emerged when Yeltsin's government defaulted on its debts, causing financial markets to panic and the ruble to collapse in the 1998 financial crisis. The ruble or rouble (рубль rublʹ, plural ru рубли́ rubli; see note on English spelling and Russian plurals with numbers

During the 1999 Kosovo war, Yeltsin strongly opposed the NATO military campaign against Yugoslavia, and warned of possible Russian intervention if NATO deployed ground troops to Kosovo. The term Kosovo War or Kosovo Conflict is often used to describe two sequential and at times parallel armed conflicts in Kosovo: 1996–1999 The North Atlantic Treaty The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Савезна Република Југославија / Savezna Republika Jugoslavija) or FRY was a federal state In televised comments he stated: "I told NATO, the Americans, the Germans: Don't push us toward military action. Otherwise there will be a European war for sure and possibly world war. "^[27]

On May 15, 1999, Yeltsin survived another attempt of impeachment, this time by the democratic and communist opposition in the State Duma. Events 1252 - Pope Innocent IV issues the Papal bull Ad exstirpanda, which authorizes but also limits the Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) Impeachment is the first of two stages in a specific process for a legislative body to forcibly remove a Government official The Russian United Democratic Party Yabloko ( Russian: Российская объединённая демократическая партия "Яблоко" The Communist Party of the Russian Federation (Коммунистическая партия Российской Федерации = КПРФ Transliteration of Russian into English|translit The State Duma (Государственная дума (Gosudarstvennaya Duma common abbreviation Госдума (Gosduma in the Russian Federation is the He was charged with several unconstitutional activities, including the signing of the Belavezha Accords, dissolving the Soviet Union in December 1991, the coup-d'état in October 1993, and initiating the war in Chechnya in 1994. The Belavezha Accords (Беловежские соглашения is the Agreement which declared the Soviet Union effectively dissolved and established the The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 The Russian constitutional crisis of 1993 began on 21 September when Russian President Boris Yeltsin dissolved the country's legislature ( Congress of People's The Chechen Republic (ˈʧɛʧɨn rɪˈpʌblɨk Чече́нская Респу́блика Chechenskaya Respublika; Нохчийн Республика Noxçiyn Respublika None of these charges received the two-thirds majority of the Duma which was required to initiate the process of impeachment of the president. Impeachment is the first of two stages in a specific process for a legislative body to forcibly remove a Government official

On August 9, 1999 Yeltsin fired his prime minister, Sergei Stepashin, and for the fourth time, fired his entire cabinet. Events 48 BC - Caesar's civil war: Battle of Pharsalus - Julius Caesar decisively defeats Pompey at Pharsalus Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) Sergei Vadimovich Stepashin (Серге́й Вади́мович Степа́шин (born March 2 1952, Lüshunkou China) is a Russian In Stepashin's place he appointed Vladimir Putin, relatively unknown at that time, and announced his wish to see Putin as his successor. Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (; born 7 October 1952 in Leningrad, USSR; now Saint Petersburg, Russia was the second President of Russia

In late 1999 Yeltsin and President Clinton openly disagreed on the war in Chechnya. At the November meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Clinton pointed his finger at Yeltsin and demanded he halt bombing attacks that had resulted in many civilian casualties. Yeltsin immediately left the conference. ^[28]

In December while visiting China to seek support on Chechnya, Yeltsin replied to Clinton’s criticism of a Russian ultimatum to citizens of Grozney. He bluntly pronounced: "Yesterday, Clinton permitted himself to put pressure on Russia. It seems he has for a minute, for a second, for half a minute, forgotten that Russia has a full arsenal of nuclear weapons. He has forgotten about that. " Clinton dismissed Yeltsin's comments stating: "I didn't think he'd forgotten that America was a great power when he disagreed with what I did in Kosovo. " It fell to Vladimir Putin to downplay Yeltsin's comments and present reassurances about U. S. and Russian relations. ^[29]

Resignation

On 31 December 1999, in a surprise announcement aired at 12:00 noon on Russian television and taped in the morning of the same day, Yeltsin said he had resigned and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin had taken over as acting president, with elections due to take place on 26 March 2000. Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia. Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (; born 7 October 1952 in Leningrad, USSR; now Saint Petersburg, Russia was the second President of Russia Events 1026 - Pope John XIX crowns Conrad II as Holy Roman Emperor. 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. Yeltsin asked for forgiveness for what he acknowledged were errors of his rule, and said Russia needed to enter the new century with new political leaders. Yeltsin said: "I want to beg forgiveness for your dreams that never came true. And also I would like to beg forgiveness not to have justified your hopes. "

Alleged alcoholism and neurological disorder

According to numerous reports, Yeltsin struggled with alcoholism. The subject made headlines abroad during Yeltsin's visit to the U. S. in 1989 for a series of lectures on social and political life in the Soviet Union. That trip was described by a report in the Italian newspaper La Repubblica. la Repubblica (meaning "the Republic" is as of 2006 the largest circulation Italian daily general-interest newspaper. The article reported that Yeltsin often appeared drunk in public. The article was reprinted by Pravda. Pravda (Правда "The Truth" was a leading Newspaper of the Soviet Union and an official organ of the Central Committee of the Yeltsin's alleged alcoholism was also the subject of media discussion following his meeting with U. S. Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott following Clinton's inauguration in 1993 and after his flight stop-over at Shannon Airport, Ireland in September 1994 when the waiting Irish Taoiseach (prime minister) Albert Reynolds was told that Yeltsin was unwell and would not be leaving the aircraft. The Deputy Secretary of State of the United States is the chief assistant to the Secretary of State who is responsible for foreign affairs. Nelson Strobridge "Strobe" Talbott III (born April 25, 1946 in Dayton Ohio to Jo & Bud Talbott) is an American journalist Shannon International Airport, or Aerfort na Sionnainne in Irish is one of Ireland's primary three airports (along with Dublin Airport and Cork Airport Albert Reynolds (Ailbhe Mac Raghnaill born 4 November 1932 served as the eighth Taoiseach of Ireland, serving one term in office from 1992 until 1994

According to former Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Boris Nemtsov, the bizarre behavior of Yeltsin resulted from "strong drugs" given to him by Kremlin's doctors, which were incompatible even with a small amount of alcohol. Boris Efimovich Nemtsov (Борис Ефимович Немцов (born October 9 1959) is a former Deputy Prime Minister of Russia one of co-founders of the This was discussed by journalist Yelena Tregubova from the "Kremlin's pool" in connection with an episode during Yeltsin's visit to Stockholm in 1997 when Yeltsin suddenly started talking nonsense (he allegedly told his bemused audience that Swedish meatballs reminded him of Björn Borg's face), lost his balance, and almost fell down on the podium after drinking a single glass of Champagne^[30] Yeltsin, in his memoirs, claimed no recollection of the event but did however make a passing reference to the incident when he met Borg a year later at The World Circle Kabaddi Cup in Hamilton, Ontario, where the pair had been invited to present the trophy. Yelena Viktorovna Tregubova (Елена Викторовна Трегубова (born May 24, 1973) is a Russian journalist a critic of the president Kremlin pool (Кремлевский пул also President's pool is a common reference to a group of Russian Journalists accredited to regularly cover ('stɔkhɔlm is Sweden 's Capital and its largest City. It is the site of the national Swedish government, the parliament, and the (bjœɳ bɔrj born 6 June 1956) is a former World No 1 Tennis player from Sweden who is widely regarded by observers and tennis players ^[31] Similarly, Yeltsin made a hasty withdrawal from the funeral of Hussein of Jordan in February 1999. Hussein bin Talal King of Jordan (حسين بن طلال Ḥusayn bin Ṭalāl) ( November 14, 1935 – February 7, 1999) was (Russian: Елена Трегубова. Russian ( transliteration:,) is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages Байки кремлевского диггера. , Mосква. , Ad Marginem, 2003 ISBN 5-93321-073-0 Full text in Russian. German translation.

After Yeltsin's death, a Dutch neurosurgeon revealed that his team was secretly flown to Moscow to operate on Yeltsin in 1999. Yeltsin suffered from an unspecified neurological disorder that affected his sense of balance, causing him to wobble as if in a drunken state; the goal of the operation was to reduce the pain. ^[32]

Life after resignation

Yeltsin's personal and health problems received a great deal of attention in the global press. As the years went on, he was often viewed as an increasingly unstable leader, rather than the inspiring figure he was once seen as. The possibility that he might die in office was often discussed. Starting in the last years of his presidential term, Yeltsin's primary residence was the Gorki-9 presidential dacha west of Moscow. He made frequent stays at the nearby government sanatorium in Barvikha. Barvikha (Барви́ха is a village west of Moscow and site of the Barvikha Sanatorium the health resort of the President of Russia.

Yeltsin maintained a low profile after his resignation, making almost no public statements or appearances. However, on 13 September 2004, following the Beslan school hostage crisis and nearly-concurrent terrorist attacks in Moscow, Putin launched an initiative to replace the election of regional governors with a system whereby they would be directly appointed by the president and approved by regional legislatures. Events 509 BC - The Temple of Jupiter on Rome 's Capitoline Hill is dedicated on the ides of September "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " The Beslan school hostage crisis (also referred to as the Beslan school siege or Beslan massacre) A series of explosions shook the school followed by a fire Yeltsin, together with Mikhail Gorbachev, publicly criticized Putin's plan as a step away from democracy in Russia and a return to the centrally-run political apparatus of the Soviet era. Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev ( Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachyov;; born 2 March 1931 in Privolnoye Stavropol Krai) is a Russian politician ^[33]

In September 2005, Yeltsin underwent a hip operation in Moscow after breaking his femur in a fall while vacationing on the Italian island of Sardinia. The femur is the thigh bone In Humans, it is the longest, most voluminous and strongest Bone. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Sardinia (sɑrˈdɪnɪə Sardegna Sardigna or Sardinnya is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after Sicily) ^[34]

On February 1, 2006, Yeltsin celebrated his 75th birthday. Events 1327 - Teenaged Edward III is crowned King of England, but the country is ruled by his mother Queen Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. He used this occasion as an opportunity to criticize a "monopolistic" U. S. foreign policy, and to state that Vladimir Putin was the right choice for Russia. Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (; born 7 October 1952 in Leningrad, USSR; now Saint Petersburg, Russia was the second President of Russia ^[35] He also disputed accusations of corruption.

Passion for tennis

Yeltsin also used his retirement to pursue his considerable love of tennis. He was a frequent fixture at tournaments held in Russia, notably Russian Davis Cup and Federation Cup team events. Far from a passive supporter like many VIPs who attend sports events, Yeltsin gained a reputation as an animated fan, cheering and jumping in support of the Russians. When the Russian men won the Davis Cup in 2002 and 2006 Yeltsin descended the stands to celebrate with the players, group hugging the team.

Following his death in April 2007, his widow, Naina, attended in Yeltsin's place the final of that year's Federation Cup, in which Russia's women comprehensively beat Italy.

Death

Boris Yeltsin died of congestive heart failure^[36][37] on April 23, 2007 at the age of 76. Heart failure is a Cardiac condition that occurs when a problem with the structure or function of the Heart impairs its ability to supply Events 215 BC - A temple is built on the Capitoline Hill dedicated to Venus Erycina to commemorate the Roman defeat at Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ^[38][39] According to experts quoted by Komsomolskaya Pravda, the onset of Yeltsin's condition was due to his visit to Jordan between March 25 and April 2. Note "Komsomolskaya Pravda" should not be confused with Pravda. Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (الأردنّ al-Urdunn) is an Arab country in Southwest Asia spanning the southern Events 1199 - Richard I is wounded by a crossbow bolt while fighting France which leads to his death on April 6. Events 68 - Galba, Governor of Hispania, names himself legatus senatus populique Romani, breaking the line of ^[36] He was buried in the Novodevichy Cemetery on April 25, 2007,^[40] following a period during which his body had lain in state in the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow. Novodevichy Cemetery (Новоде́вичье кла́дбище Novodevichye kladbishche is the most famous cemetery in Moscow, Russia, situated next to the Events 1607 - Eighty Years' War: The Dutch fleet destroys the anchored Spanish fleet at Gibraltar. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Lying in state is a term used to describe the tradition in which a Coffin is placed on view to allow the public at large to pay their respects to the deceased The Cathedral of Christ the Saviour (Хра́м Христа́ Спаси́теля is the tallest Eastern Orthodox Church in the world ^[41] Yeltsin was the first Russian statesman in 113 years to be buried in a church ceremony, after Emperor Alexander III. Alexander III Alexandrovich ( 10 March 1845 – 1 November 1894) (Александр III Александрович reigned as Emperor

President Putin declared the day of his funeral a national day of mourning, with flags flown at half-staff and all entertainment programs suspended for the day. A national day of mourning is a Day marked by Mourning and Memorial activities across the majority of a Country 's populace such days ^[42]

Yeltsin is survived by his wife, Naina Iosifovna Yeltsina, whom he married in 1956, and their two daughters Yelena and Tatyana, born in 1957 and 1959 respectively. Naina Iosifovna Yeltsina (Наина Иосифовна Ельцина Née Girina Гирина born March 14 1932) is the widow of the first Tatyana Dyachenko (Татьяна Борисовна Дьяченко born 1960 also Tatiana, also Diyachenko or Jachenko, now Yumashev) is

Reaction

 Russia—Russian president Vladimir Putin said, declaring April 25, 2007, a day of national mourning, that:

Yeltsin's "presidency has inscribed him forever in Russian and in world history. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (; born 7 October 1952 in Leningrad, USSR; now Saint Petersburg, Russia was the second President of Russia Events 1607 - Eighty Years' War: The Dutch fleet destroys the anchored Spanish fleet at Gibraltar. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. " . . . "A new democratic Russia was born during his time: a free, open and peaceful country. A state in which the power truly does belong to the people. " . . . "the first President of Russia’s strength consisted in the mass support of Russian citizens for his ideas and aspirations. Thanks to the will and direct initiative of President Boris Yeltsin a new constitution, one which declared human rights a supreme value, was adopted. It gave people the opportunity to freely express their thoughts, to freely choose power in Russia, to realise their creative and entrepreneurial plans. This Constitution permitted us to begin building a truly effective Federation. " . . . "We knew (Yeltsin) as a brave and a warm-hearted, spiritual person. He was an upstanding and courageous national leader. And he was always very honest and frank while defending his position. " . . . "(Yeltsin) assumed full responsibility for everything he called for, for everything he aspired to. For everything he tried to do and did do for the sake of Russia, for the sake of millions of Russians. And he invariably took upon himself, let it in his heart, all the trials and tribulations of Russia, peoples’ difficulties and problems. "^[43]

 Russia—Shortly after the news broke, former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev issued a statement, saying:

"I offer my deepest condolences to the family of a man on whose shoulders rested many great deeds for the good of the country and serious mistakes—a tragic fate". Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev ( Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachyov;; born 2 March 1931 in Privolnoye Stavropol Krai) is a Russian politician ^[44]

References

Books

• Midnight Diaries By Boris Yeltsin. Translated by Catherine A. Fitzpatrick. Illustrated. 398 pp. New York: PublicAffairs.
• Korzhakov, Aleksandr (1997). Alexander Vasilyevich Korzhakov ( Александр Васильевич Коржаков (born January 31 1950 in Moscow) was a KGB Борис Ельцин: от рассвета до заката. ISBN 5-88589-039-0.   (See Boris Yeltsin: From Dawn to Dusk)

See also

• Yeltsinism

Footnotes

External links

• Obituary and public tributes on Lasting Tribute
• CNN Cold War — Profile: Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin
• Death of a Bear- Hammernews
• The Good Czar The Strange Nobility of Boris Yeltsin
• The Yeltsin Years Documentary
• Works by or about Boris Yeltsin in libraries (WorldCat catalog)

Preceded by Oleg Lobov Prime Minister of the RSFSR	Prime Minister of Russia 1991–1992 (led the Government of Russia as the President of Russian Federation)	Succeeded by Yegor Gaidar
Preceded by New office (replacing Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR)	President of RSFSR, later President of Russia 1991–1999	Succeeded by Vladimir Putin
Preceded by Vitaly Vorotnikov (as Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Russian SFSR)	Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the Russian SFSR 1990–1991	Succeeded by Ruslan Khasbulatov (without executive powers)

Persondata
NAME	Yeltsin, Boris Nikolayevich
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Ельцин, Борис Николаевич (Russian); Eltsin. WorldCat is a Union catalog which itemizes the collections of more than 10000 libraries which participate in the OCLC global cooperative Oleg Ivanovich Lobov (Олег Иванович Лобов (born 7 September 1937 in Kiev) was a Russian politician who served as acting Prime Minister The Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation, (Председатель Правительства Российской Федерации unofficially called the Prime-Minister Yegor Timurovich Gaidar (Его́р Тиму́рович Гайда́р) (born March 19, 1956) is a Russian economist and politician and was Prime Minister The President of Russia (Президент России or the President of the Russian Federation, Президент Российской The President of Russia (Президент России or the President of the Russian Federation, Президент Российской Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (; born 7 October 1952 in Leningrad, USSR; now Saint Petersburg, Russia was the second President of Russia Ruslan Imranovich Khasbulatov ( Russian: Руслан Имранович Хасбулатов) (born November
SHORT DESCRIPTION	Political leader, President of Russia.
DATE OF BIRTH	February 1, 1931(1931-02-01)
PLACE OF BIRTH	Butka, Sverdlovsk, Soviet Union
DATE OF DEATH	April 23, 2007
PLACE OF DEATH	Moscow, Russia

Events 1327 - Teenaged Edward III is crowned King of England, but the country is ruled by his mother Queen Year 1931 ( MCMXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Between 1924 and 1991 Yekaterinburg Russia was also known as Sverdlovsk and in railway timetables it still is The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Events 215 BC - A temple is built on the Capitoline Hill dedicated to Venus Erycina to commemorate the Roman defeat at Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending

---

© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic