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Boris Yeltsin

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Boris Yeltsin was a major leader in Russian history.

Youth of Eltsin
Youth of Eltsin

He served as the President of Russia from 1991 to 1999. Before he was president, he was a member of the Communist Party. He later became an independent leader who believed in liberalism. This means he supported more individual freedoms. His life changed the way Russia worked as a country. He helped move Russia from a Soviet state to an independent nation.

Boris Yeltsin 22 August 1991-1
Boris Yeltsin 22 August 1991-1

His journey began with hard work in building things.

Youth of Eltsin
Youth of Eltsin

He studied engineering at the Ural Polytechnic Institute. After school, he worked in construction in the city of Sverdlovsk. He was a very effective manager of large groups of workers. He even oversaw 15,000 laborers on a big project. Eventually, he moved from building houses to working in politics. He joined the Communist Party to help his career grow. He rose through the ranks to become a high-level party leader.

Leonid Brezhnev Portrait (1)
Leonid Brezhnev Portrait (1)

In the late 1980s, Yeltsin wanted big changes for his country.

RIAN archive 850809 General Secretary of the CPSU CC M. Gorbachev (crop)
RIAN archive 850809 General Secretary of the CPSU CC M. Gorbachev (crop)

He supported reforms but thought they were moving too slowly. He wanted a system with many different political parties. In 1987, he resigned from a top party group called the Politburo. This act made him a very popular figure. People saw him as a leader who stood against the old ways. In 1991, he became the first elected president in Russian history.

Boris Yeltsin 22 August 1991-1
Boris Yeltsin 22 August 1991-1

Being president was a very difficult job for him.

GDP of Russia since 1989
GDP of Russia since 1989

He tried to change the economy to a capitalist market system. This involved lifting price controls and starting nationwide privatization. However, these changes caused high inflation and many people lost money. A small group of wealthy people called oligarchs gained most of the wealth. In 1993, a big fight happened between Yeltsin and the parliament. This crisis ended after troops moved into the parliament building.

Ba-meeting-october-1998-people
Ba-meeting-october-1998-people

Later in his presidency, Yeltsin dealt with wars in the Caucasus region.

Москва, Красная площадь, День Победы 1995
Москва, Красная площадь, День Победы 1995

He also worked with leaders in the United States and Europe. He signed important arms control agreements with the U.S. to keep peace. By the end of 1999, he decided to leave office. He resigned on New Year's Eve.

Boris Yeltsin 31 December 1999
Boris Yeltsin 31 December 1999

He chose Vladimir Putin to be his successor. People still talk about his work today. Some praise his role in bringing new freedoms to Russia. Others criticize how he managed the economy and power.

Funeral of Boris Yeltsin-1
Funeral of Boris Yeltsin-1
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🖼️ Images & Media (31)
File:Youth of Eltsin.JPG
Youth of Eltsin.JPG
File:Leonid Brezhnev Portrait (1).jpg
Leonid Brezhnev Portrait (1).jpg
File:RIAN archive 850809 General Secretary of the CPSU CC M. Gorbachev (crop).jpg
RIAN archive 850809 General Secretary of...
File:RIAN archive 37106 Boris Yeltsin and Raisa Gorbachev.jpg
RIAN archive 37106 Boris Yeltsin and...
File:Boris Yeltsin 21 February 1989-1.jpg
Boris Yeltsin 21 February 1989-1.jpg
File:Boris Yeltsin 22 August 1991-1.jpg
Boris Yeltsin 22 August 1991-1.jpg
File:RIAN archive 848095 Signing the Agreement to eliminate the USSR and establish the Commonwealth of Independent States.jpg
RIAN archive 848095 Signing the Agreement...
File:RIAN archive 52076 Leonid Kravchuk, Stanislav Shushkevich and Boris Yeltsin.jpg
RIAN archive 52076 Leonid Kravchuk,...
File:President and Mrs. Bush show Russian President Boris Yeltsin the South Grounds of the White House and stop at the... - NARA - 186451.jpg
President and Mrs. Bush show Russian...
File:GDP of Russia since 1989.svg
GDP of Russia since 1989.svg
File:Crude oil prices since 1861.png
Crude oil prices since 1861.png
President Bush and Russian President...

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