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Boris Yeltsin

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Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin was a central figure in the transformation of Russia.

Youth of Eltsin
Youth of Eltsin

He served as the President of Russia from 1991 until 1999. Before his presidency, he was a member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU). He later became a political independent aligned with liberalism. Liberalism is a political philosophy that emphasizes individual freedoms and representative democracy. Yeltsin's leadership marked the end of the Soviet era and the start of the Russian Federation.

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

Yeltsin's early life was shaped by the hardships of the Soviet Union. He was born on February 1, 1931, in the village of Butka. His family faced many struggles during the era of Joseph Stalin. In 1930, his grandfather, Ignatii, was accused of being a kulak. A kulak was a term for a relatively prosperous farmer. As a result, the family's farm was confiscated by the state. Yeltsin also experienced hunger during the famine of 1932–1933. His father, Nikolai, was later arrested by state security services in 1934. Despite these challenges, Yeltsin excelled in school and was often elected class monitor.

After secondary school, Yeltsin studied industrial and civil engineering at the Ural Polytechnic Institute.

Youth of Eltsin
Youth of Eltsin

He graduated in 1955 and began a career in the construction industry. He rose quickly from a trainee to a work superintendent. He eventually became the head engineer for Construction Directorate Number 13. Yeltsin earned a reputation as a punctual and effective manager. He once oversaw a project involving 15,000 laborers. In 1960, he joined the Communist Party to advance his career. He rose through the party ranks to become the First Secretary of the Sverdlovsk Oblast committee in 1976.

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

In the late 1980s, Yeltsin became a leader of the anti-establishment movement. He initially supported the perestroika reforms of Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. Perestroika refers to the restructuring of Soviet political and economic systems. However, Yeltsin eventually criticized these reforms for being too moderate. He called for a transition to a multi-party representative democracy. In 1987, he became the first person to resign from the Politburo. The Politburo was the highest policy-making committee of the Communist Party. This resignation increased his popularity among citizens who wanted change.

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

Yeltsin reached the highest levels of government during a time of massive change. In 1990, he was elected chair of the Russian Supreme Soviet. In 1991, he was elected president of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR). This made him the first popularly-elected head of state in Russian history.

RIAN archive 52076 Leonid Kravchuk, Stanislav Shushkevich and Boris Yeltsin
RIAN archive 52076 Leonid Kravchuk, Stanislav Shushkevich and Boris Yeltsin

He worked with various nationalist leaders to dissolve the Soviet Union in December 1991. Following this dissolution, the RSFSR became the independent Russian Federation. Yeltsin remained in office as the president of this new nation.

His presidency was defined by a difficult shift to a capitalist market economy.

GDP of Russia since 1989
GDP of Russia since 1989

Yeltsin implemented a policy known as economic shock therapy. This included nationwide privatization and the lifting of price controls. These changes led to significant economic volatility and high inflation. While many struggled, a small number of individuals known as oligarchs gained most of the national wealth. A major constitutional crisis occurred in 1993 when Yeltsin dissolved the parliament. This led to an impeachment attempt and an armed uprising. The crisis ended after troops loyal to Yeltsin entered the parliament building.

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

In his later years, Yeltsin managed both domestic conflicts and international relations. He faced secessionist movements in the Caucasus, leading to the First Chechen War and the Second Chechen War. Internationally, he sought collaboration with Europe. He also signed important arms control agreements with the United States.

On December 31, 1999, Yeltsin announced his resignation.

Boris Yeltsin 31 December 1999
Boris Yeltsin 31 December 1999

He appointed Vladimir Putin as his successor. Yeltsin died in 2007 and was honored with a state funeral.

Funeral of Boris Yeltsin-1
Funeral of Boris Yeltsin-1

His legacy remains a subject of debate regarding democracy and economic management.

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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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