Russia

Abstract

Key Historical Events. After the dissolution of the USSR in Dec. 1991, Russia became one of the founding members of the Commonwealth of Independent States. Boris Yeltsin was elected President in June 1991. A period of confrontation in 1992–93 between President Yeltsin and parliament culminated on 21 Sept. in a presidential decree on ‘gradual constitutional reform’ which suspended the operations of parliament, called new parliamentary elections for Dec. and assumed emergency executive powers. Parliament and the Constitutional Court rejected this action, and parliament proclaimed Vice-President Rutskoi acting president. The USA, the EC and other countries expressed support for President Yeltsin, as did the Ukraine and Belarus. Many deputies refused to leave the parliament building and mounted an armed guard which was cordoned off by pro-Yeltsin forces. Public demonstrations and counter-demonstrations began on 26 Sept. After a week in which deputies remained in the parliament building, some thousands of armed anti-Yeltsin demonstrators assembled on 3 Oct. and were urged to seize the Kremlin and television centre. Shots were fired and there were fatal casualties.