Yeltsin B. N.

Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin, firt President of the Russian Federation, was born February 1, 1931, Butka, Talitsk Rayon, Sverdlovskya Oblast, USSR.

Member of the Communist Party from 1961, Boris Yeltsin served as the secretary of the Communist Party Central Committee (July 1, 1985 - Feb. 18, 1986), first secretary of the Moscow party committee (Dec. 24, 1985 - Nov. 11, 1987) and candidate member of the Politburo (Feb. 18, 1986 - Feb. 14, 1988). He proved an able and determined reformer, but his criticism of the slow pace of reform and even General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev estranged him from party ranks. Yeltsin was forced to resign in disgrace from the Moscow party leadership in 1987 and from the Politburo in 1988. Yeltsin was demoted to a deputy minister for construction but then staged the most remarkable comeback in Soviet history. A year later, on May 29, 1990, the Supreme Soviet of the Russian S.F.S.R. elected him chairman of the Supreme Soviet against Gorbachev's wishes. In his new role, Yeltsin publicly supported the right of Soviet republics to greater autonomy within the Soviet Union, took steps to give the Russian republic more autonomy, and declared himself in favor of a market-oriented economy and a multiparty political system. In July 1990 Yeltsin quit the Communist Party. His victory in the first direct, popular elections for the presidency of the Russian republic (June 12, 1991) was seen as a mandate for economic reform. The Congress of People's Deputies relieved Yeltsin from the duties of chairman and people's deputy on July 10, 1991, according to the Constitution and the law "On Assuming the Office of President" as he was sworn in is as president of the RSFSR.

Member of the Communist Party from 1961, Boris Yeltsin served as the secretary of the Communist Party Central Committee (July 1, 1985 - Feb. 18, 1986), first secretary of the Moscow party committee (Dec. 24, 1985 - Nov. 11, 1987) and candidate member of the Politburo (Feb. 18, 1986 - Feb. 14, 1988). He proved an able and determined reformer, but his criticism of the slow pace of reform and even General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev estranged him from party ranks. Yeltsin was forced to resign in disgrace from the Moscow party leadership in 1987 and from the Politburo in 1988. Yeltsin was demoted to a deputy minister for construction but then staged the most remarkable comeback in Soviet history. A year later, on May 29, 1990, the Supreme Soviet of the Russian S.F.S.R. elected him chairman of the Supreme Soviet against Gorbachev's wishes. In his new role, Yeltsin publicly supported the right of Soviet republics to greater autonomy within the Soviet Union, took steps to give the Russian republic more autonomy, and declared himself in favor of a market-oriented economy and a multiparty political system. In July 1990 Yeltsin quit the Communist Party. His victory in the first direct, popular elections for the presidency of the Russian republic (June 12, 1991) was seen as a mandate for economic reform. The Congress of People's Deputies relieved Yeltsin from the duties of chairman and people's deputy on July 10, 1991, according to the Constitution and the law "On Assuming the Office of President" as he was sworn in is as president of the RSFSR.