Boris Yeltsin
The volatile, bear-like leader who stood on a tank to defy a coup, then presided over Russia's chaotic birth.
1931–2007 (age 76)·President of Russia from 1991 to 1999·Birthday: February 1·The Silent Generation
Biography
Boris Yeltsin was a force of nature who became the face of Russia's tumultuous transition from Soviet rule. A former Communist Party boss from Sverdlovsk, he broke with the old guard, using his blunt, common-man persona to win Russia's first popular presidential election. His defining moment came in August 1991, when he climbed atop a tank outside the Russian parliament to rally resistance against a hardline coup, an image that shattered the USSR's remaining authority. As president of the new Russian Federation, he oversaw shock therapy economics that created wild oligarchic wealth while plunging millions into poverty. His presidency was marked by a brutal war in Chechnya, constitutional crises, and his own declining health. In a startling final act, he resigned on New Year's Eve 1999, handing power to his little-known prime minister, Vladimir Putin, a decision that would shape the next century.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Boris was born in 1931, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Boris Was Born
The biggest hits of 1931
#1 Movie
Frankenstein
Best Picture
Cimarron
Boris's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1931Born
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1936Started school
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1944Became a teenager
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1947Could drive
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1949Could vote
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1952Turned 21
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1961Turned 30
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1971Turned 40
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1981Turned 50
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1991Turned 60
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 70
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2007Died at 76
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
Key Achievements
- Became the first democratically elected president of the Russian Federation in 1991.
- Played a central role in dissolving the Soviet Union by rallying opposition to the 1991 coup attempt.
- Signed the START II treaty with the United States, agreeing to reduce nuclear arsenals.
- Ordered military action against the Russian parliament in 1993 during a constitutional crisis.
Did You Know?
He was a talented volleyball player in his youth and played for his city's team.
He famously conducted the Russian Army Choir during a 1994 performance in Berlin.
He had a fondness for John F. Kennedy and visited the late president's grave during a U.S. trip.
His daughter, Tatyana Dyachenko, was a key political advisor during his later presidency.
“You can make a throne out of bayonets, but you can't sit on it for long.”
