Boris Yeltsin,  First President of the Russian Federation

       

 In Office: July 1991-December 1999

          Boris Yeltsin was born on February 1, 1931 in the village of Butka to a peasant family. He graduated from Ural Polytech Institute in 1955 with a degree in construction. Yelstin joined the Communist Party in 1961, and by 1981 he became a member of  the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. Around 1980, Yeltsin became friends with Mikhail Gorbachev during his leadership. Yeltsin was named to the top party post in Moscow and to the Politburo by Gorbachev, once Gorbachev became leader of the Soviet Union.  However, toward the end of his leadership Gorbachev became isolated. Yeltsin emerged as a prominent opponent who pushed for radical reform, which resulted in him losing his leadership positions. He resigned from both the Politburo and the Communist party in 1990.
By June 12, 1991 Yeltsin was elected President of the Russian Federation winning 54% of the vote (first popular vote for this position.) Boris Yeltsin faced a crucial challenge a few months into his presidency. This challenge was a coup took place by hard-line Communists, who were opposed to Perestroika (the economic reform plan instituted by Gorbachev.) Yeltsin united the Russian people and inspired Soviet troops to oppose the coup; the coup had failed. During Yeltsin’s presidency, the Russian federation transitioned to a free market and pursued a policy of ‘shock therapy.’ On the other hand, this transition led to widespread economic hardship and inequality. Many oligarchs tried to take control of state owned assets at low prices, while the average Joe struggled to deal with rising prices and falling incomes. Yeltsin became progressively unpopular near the end of his presidency, due to the economic crisis and rumors about his drunkenness.  He resigned as president in 1999 and preferred Putin as candidate. The “architect of modern Russia” has been praised for leading Russia on the path to democracy. He died at the age of 76 in 2007 due to heart failure. While Yeltsin’s legacy may have been controversial, he has without a doubt written his name into Russia’s history.