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Boris Yeltsin

1931 – 2007 Russian first President of the Russian Federation

First president of post-Soviet Russia, who broke the 1991 coup, freed prices, and handed power to Putin.

Religion
Russian Orthodox
Affiliations
Communist Party (former), independent

Boris Yeltsin rose in the Communist Party, broke with it, and became the first popularly elected leader of Russia. He led the popular resistance that defeated the August 1991 coup and then agreed with Ukraine and Belarus to dissolve the Soviet Union. His government launched shock therapy, freeing prices and privatizing state industry, which brought hyperinflation, a collapse in living standards, and the rise of the oligarchs. He shelled his own parliament in the 1993 constitutional crisis, won re-election in 1996 with oligarch backing, presided over the first Chechen war and the 1998 default, and resigned at the end of 1999, handing power to Vladimir Putin.

Connections

  • associate of Anatoly Chubais — Put him in charge of privatization and re-election strategy.
  • associate of Anatoly Chubais — Put him in charge of privatization and the 1996 re-election.
  • associate of Boris Berezovsky — An oligarch insider in his circle who helped bankroll his 1996 re-election.
  • rival of Mikhail Gorbachev — Outmaneuvered him and led Russia out of the Soviet Union.
  • rival of Mikhail Gorbachev — Yeltsin outmaneuvered him and led Russia out of the union.
  • successor of Vladimir Putin — Chose him as successor and handed him the presidency in 1999.
  • successor of Vladimir Putin — Yeltsin chose him as successor and handed him the presidency.
  • associate of Yegor Gaidar — Appointed him to run the economic reforms.
  • associate of Yegor Gaidar — Appointed him to run the shock-therapy economic reforms.
  • associate of Yevgeny Primakov — Appointed him prime minister after the 1998 default.

In the timeline

Wikipedia