Boris Yeltsin

About Boris Yeltsin

The first President of the Russian Federation. Yeltsin stood on a tank in 1991 to defy the Soviet coup attempt, an iconic moment. He presided over the chaotic transition from communism to capitalism, including the economic shock therapy that impoverished millions. Yeltsin ordered the shelling of the Russian parliament in 1993 to resolve a constitutional crisis. He fought a brutal war in Chechnya. His presidency was marked by corruption, economic collapse, and his own erratic behavior and apparent alcoholism. On New Years Eve 1999, Yeltsin dramatically resigned, apologizing to the Russian people and appointing Vladimir Putin as his successor.