Russia's Modern Leaders

Mikhail Gorbachev

Jun 12, 1987

Mikhail Gorbachev Ronald Reagan challenged Mikhail Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall as an emblem of Gorbachev's desire to increase freedom in the Eastern Bloc.

Russian Leaders

Period: Dec 1, 1987 to Feb 18, 2008

Mikhail Gorbachev

Dec 7, 1988

Mikhail Gorbachev Gorbachev says that Russia should stop competing with the US in the making of nuclear weapons and should only make enough to have as a defense.

Mikhail Gorbachev

Mar 15, 1990

VideoMikhail Gorbachev He was elected as the only President of the Soviet Union by the Congress of People's Deputies. Gorbachev created his own political support base of CPSU conservatives and radical reformers.

Boris Yeltsin

Oct 18, 1993

Boris Yeltsin Under Yeltsin's illegal orders, tanks surround the parliament building to force lawmakers to breakup.

Boris Yeltsin

Dec 11, 1994

Boris Yeltsin
Video Yeltsin orders Russian troops into Chechnya to stop a separatist rebellion

Boris Yeltsin

Mar 23, 1998

Boris Yeltsin Fires the entire cabinet, and replaces prime minister Viktor Chernomyrdin with Energy Minister Sergei Kiriyenko

Putin Vladimir

Aug 12, 1999

Putin Vladimir A nuclear powered submarine sinks to the bottom of the Barents Sea and 118 crew members die. Putin doesn't make any comments about the incident until 4 days later.

Putin Vladimir

Jun 1, 2001

Putin Vladimir U.S president George W. Bush meets up with Putin in the Slovenian capital, Ljubljana.

Putin Vladimir

May 1, 2002

Putin Vladimir Putin and US president George Bush have a public debate in Moscow. Putin denies that Russia could be helping Iran develop nuclear weapons.

Putin Vladimir

Apr 1, 2007

VideoPutin Vladimir Putin attacks U.S. foreign policy and pushes for the traditional values in his last speech to lawmakers that lays out a route for Russia to follow after he steps down to come back.