What is boris yeltsin?

Answer 1

Boris Yeltsin (1931-2007) was the first President of post-USSR Russia. Elected President in 1991 with 57% of the vote, he defied the August Coup and vowed to turn Russia into a capitalist democracy and as a result won much respect from the the West. Two years later, the new country came on the brink of collapse with an attack on government buildings and a constitutional crisis. However, Yeltsin's government prevailed and the Constitution was revised to give the President more powers. He was reelected in 1996.

The westernisation of Russia was certainly a bumpy ride. Mistakes made in privatising the economy caused large amounts of wealth to fall into the hands of a few "oligarchs". The Yeltsin era was marked by corruption, political and social turmoil, Yeltsin's attempts to intervene against political opposition and the media and a disastrous financial collapse in 1998. By the end of his presidency, he was widely unpopular; his approval rating was rumoured to be about 2%.

Yeltsin resigned on New Year's Eve, 1999. He was succeeded by Vladamir Putin, who was then Prime Minister. Putin could not be any more of a contrast - he came across as boring, but brought stability and strong economic growth.

Answer 2

Boris Yeltsin was part of the Russian Federation presidency