Politicians recall how they received the news of Yeltsin's departure. I made a decision. I'm leaving December 31, 1999 President Yeltsin

I am posting here President Yeltsin’s last address to the peoples of Russia on December 31, 1999. Perhaps this is one of the most fateful texts in the history of modern Russia...

Dear Russians!

There is very little time left until the magical date in our history. The year 2000 is coming. New century, new millennium.

We all tried this date on ourselves. First in childhood, then as adults, we figured out how old we would be in 2000, how old our mother would be, and how old our children would be. It once seemed that this extraordinary New Year was so far away.

This day has come.

Dear friends! My dears!

Today I address you for the last time with New Year greetings. But that's not all. Today I am addressing you for the last time as President of Russia.

I made a decision. I thought about it long and painfully. Today, on the last day of the passing century, I resign.

I have heard many times: “Yeltsin will hold on to power by any means, he will not give it up to anyone.” This is a lie. The point is different. I have always said that I will not deviate one step from the Constitution. That Duma elections should take place within the constitutional deadlines. That's how it happened. And I also wanted the presidential elections to take place on time - in June 2000. This was very important for Russia. We are creating the most important precedent for a civilized voluntary transfer of power, power from one Russian president to another, newly elected one.

Yet I made a different decision. I'm leaving. I'm leaving ahead of schedule. I realized that I needed to do this. Russia must enter the new millennium with new politicians, with new faces, with new – smart, strong, energetic – people. And we, those who have been in power for many years, must leave.

Having seen with what hope and faith people voted for a new generation of politicians in the Duma elections, I realized: I had accomplished the main work of my life. Russia will never return to the past. Russia will now always only move forward. And I should not interfere with this natural course of history. Can we still hold on to power for six months when the country has a strong man worthy of being president, and with whom almost every Russian today pins his hopes for the future?! Why should I bother him? Why wait another six months?

No, that's not for me! Not according to my character!

Today, on this unusually important day for me, I want to say a little more personal words than I usually say.

I want to ask for your forgiveness. Because many of our dreams did not come true. And what seemed simple to us turned out to be painfully difficult. I apologize for not justifying some of the hopes of those people who believed that in one leap, in one fell swoop, we could jump from the gray, stagnant, totalitarian past into a bright, rich, civilized future. I believed in it myself. It seemed that with one push we would overcome everything. It didn't work with one push. In some ways I was too naive. Somewhere the problems turned out to be too complex. We pushed forward through mistakes, through failures. Many people have experienced shock during this difficult time.

But I want you to know. I never said this, today it is important for me to tell you this. The pain of each of you resonated with pain in me, in my heart. Sleepless nights, painful experiences: what needs to be done to make people’s lives at least a little easier and better? I didn't have a more important task.

I'm leaving. I did everything I could. And not because of health, but because of the totality of all problems. A new generation is coming to replace me, a generation of those who can do more and better.

In accordance with the Constitution, when resigning, I signed a decree assigning the duties of the President of Russia to the Chairman of the Government, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. For three months, in accordance with the Constitution, he will be head of state. And in three months, also in accordance with the Constitution of Russia, presidential elections will take place.

I have always been confident in the amazing wisdom of Russians. So I have no doubt what choice you will make at the end of March 2000.

As I say goodbye, I want to say to each of you: be happy! You deserve happiness. You deserve happiness and peace of mind.

Happy New Year! Happy new century, my dears!

Dear Russians!
There is very little time left until the magical date in our history. The year 2000 is coming. New century, new millennium.
We all tried this date on ourselves. First in childhood, then as adults, we figured out how old we would be in 2000, how old our mother would be, and how old our children would be. It once seemed that this extraordinary New Year was so far away.
This day has come.
Dear friends! My dears!
Today I address you for the last time with New Year greetings. But that's not all. Today I am addressing you for the last time as President of Russia.
I made a decision. I thought about it long and painfully. Today, on the last day of the passing century, I resign.
I have heard many times: “Yeltsin will hold on to power by any means, he will not give it up to anyone.” This is a lie. The point is different. I have always said that I will not deviate one step from the Constitution. That Duma elections should take place within the constitutional deadlines. That's how it happened. And I also wanted the presidential elections to take place on time - in June 2000. This was very important for Russia. We are creating the most important precedent for a civilized voluntary transfer of power, power from one Russian president to another, newly elected one.
Yet I made a different decision. I'm leaving. I'm leaving ahead of schedule. I realized that I needed to do this. Russia must enter the new millennium with new politicians, with new faces, with new - smart, strong, energetic - people. And we, those who have been in power for many years, must leave.
Having seen with what hope and faith people voted for a new generation of politicians in the Duma elections, I realized: I had accomplished the main work of my life. Russia will never return to the past. Russia will now always only move forward. And I should not interfere with this natural course of history. Can we still hold on to power for six months when the country has a strong man worthy of being president, and with whom almost every Russian today pins his hopes for the future?! Why should I bother him? Why wait another six months?
No, that's not for me! Not according to my character!
Today, on this unusually important day for me, I want to say a little more personal words than I usually say.
I want to ask for your forgiveness. Because many of our dreams did not come true. And what seemed simple to us turned out to be painfully difficult. I apologize for not justifying some of the hopes of those people who believed that in one leap, in one fell swoop, we could jump from the gray, stagnant, totalitarian past into a bright, rich, civilized future. I believed in it myself. It seemed that with one push we would overcome everything. It didn't work with one push. In some ways I was too naive. Somewhere the problems turned out to be too complex. We pushed forward through mistakes, through failures. Many people have experienced shock during this difficult time.
But I want you to know. I never said this, today it is important for me to tell you this. The pain of each of you resonated with pain in me, in my heart. Sleepless nights, painful experiences: what needs to be done to make people’s lives at least a little easier and better? I didn't have a more important task.
I'm leaving. I did everything I could. And not because of health, but because of the totality of all problems. A new generation is coming to replace me, a generation of those who can do more and better.
In accordance with the Constitution, when resigning, I signed a decree assigning the duties of the President of Russia to the Chairman of the Government, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. For three months, in accordance with the Constitution, he will be head of state. And in three months, also in accordance with the Constitution of Russia, presidential elections will take place.
I have always been confident in the amazing wisdom of Russians. So I have no doubt what choice you will make at the end of March 2000. As I say goodbye, I want to say to each of you: be happy! You deserve happiness. You deserve happiness and peace of mind.
Happy New Year! Happy new century, my dears!

“Dear Russians!

There is very little time left until the magical date in our history. The year 2000 is coming. New century, new millennium.

We all tried this date on ourselves. We figured out, first in childhood, then as adults, how old we would be in the year 2000, and how old our mother would be, and how old our children would be. It once seemed that this extraordinary New Year was so far away. This day has come.

Dear friends! My dears! Today I address you for the last time with New Year greetings. But that's not all. Today I am addressing you for the last time as President of Russia.

I made a decision.

I thought about it long and painfully. Today, on the last day of the passing century, I resign.

I have heard many times: “Yeltsin will hold on to power by any means, he will not give it up to anyone.” This is a lie.

The point is different. I have always said that I will not deviate one step from the Constitution. That Duma elections should take place within the constitutional deadlines. That's how it happened. And I also wanted the presidential elections to take place on time - in June 2000. This was very important for Russia. We are creating the most important precedent for a civilized voluntary transfer of power, power from one President of Russia to another, newly elected one.

And we, those who have been in power for many years, must leave.

And I should not interfere with this natural course of history. Can we still hold on to power for six months when the country has a strong man worthy of being President, and with whom almost every Russian today pins his hopes for the future!? Why should I bother him? Why wait another six months?

No, that's not for me! Not according to my character!

Today, on this unusually important day for me, I want to say a little more personal words than I usually say.

I want to ask for your forgiveness.

Because many of our dreams did not come true. And what seemed simple to us turned out to be painfully difficult. I apologize for not justifying some of the hopes of those people who believed that in one leap, in one fell swoop, we could jump from the gray, stagnant, totalitarian past into a bright, rich, civilized future. I believed in it myself. It seemed that with one push we would overcome everything.

It didn't work with one push. In some ways I was too naive. Somewhere the problems turned out to be too complex. We pushed forward through mistakes, through failures. Many people have experienced shock during this difficult time. But I want you to know.

I never said this, today it is important for me to tell you this. The pain of each of you resonated with pain in me, in my heart. Sleepless nights, painful experiences: what needs to be done to make people’s lives at least a little easier and better? I didn't have a more important task.

I have always been confident in the amazing wisdom of Russians. So I have no doubt what choice you will make at the end of March 2000.

As I say goodbye, I want to say to each of you: be happy. You deserve happiness. You deserve happiness and peace of mind.

Happy New Year!

Happy new century, my dears!"

CONTEXT. December 31, 1999 B.N. Yeltsin signed a decree on his resignation from the post of President of the USSR. The wife of the first Russian president N.I. Yeltsin recalled: “Boris Nikolayevich behaved restlessly all night, woke up very early. I started getting ready. He said that there would be a recording of the New Year's televised address. I was surprised - on the 28th there was already a recording on television. Why again? Well, it didn’t work out, he says, we’ll rewrite it today. They began to get ready, they were choosing a suit (certain colors are needed for television), and on the way out he suddenly looked at me very carefully and said: “You know, I’ve made a decision: I’m resigning. There will be my televised address. Watch TV". (Judging by the text of the address, Yeltsin believed that with the advent of 2000, a new millennium would come, and his departure on New Year’s Eve would be especially symbolic).

At 11 a.m. on December 31, 1999, Yeltsin, in the presence of the Patriarch, who did not know why he was urgently invited to the Kremlin, gave Putin the symbols of presidential power, as well as the Parker pen with which he signed decrees. “The government should not get involved in any political campaigns. The main task for him remains to ensure economic growth and social well-being. This is a primary task,” said V.V. Putin at a government meeting. Putin called Yeltsin’s decision to resign “precisely calibrated.” According to him, after Yeltsin announced his decision, the growth of all Russian assets in all markets amounted to 5%.

In May 2000 V.V. Putin, supported by a huge mass of voters, the apparatus and almost the entire press, easily defeated G.A. Zyuganov and many other candidates are already in the first round of the presidential election.

Televised address by B.N. Yeltsin on video: “I want to ask you for forgiveness”

December 31, 1999 B.N. Yeltsin signed a decree on his resignation from the post of President of the Russian Federation. The wife of the first Russian president N.I. Yeltsin recalled: “Boris Nikolayevich behaved restlessly all night, woke up very early. I started getting ready. He said that there would be a recording of the New Year's televised address. I was surprised - on the 28th there was already a recording on television. Why again? Well, it didn’t work out, he says, we’ll rewrite it today. They began to get ready, they were choosing a suit (certain colors are needed for television), and on the way out he suddenly looked at me very carefully and said: “You know, I’ve made a decision: I’m resigning. There will be my televised address. Watch TV". At 11 a.m. on December 31, 1999, Yeltsin, in the presence of the Patriarch, who did not know why he was urgently invited to the Kremlin, gave Putin the symbols of presidential power, as well as the Parker pen with which he signed decrees. “The government should not get involved in any political campaigns. The main task for him remains to ensure economic growth and social well-being. This is a primary task,” said V.V. Putin at a government meeting. Putin called Yeltsin’s decision to resign “precisely calibrated.” According to him, after Yeltsin announced his decision, the growth of all Russian assets in all markets amounted to 5%. In March 2000 V.V. Putin, supported by the apparatus, almost the entire press and a huge mass of voters, easily defeated G.A. Zyuganov and many other candidates are already in the first round.

FAREWELL SPEECH B.N. YELTSIN

Dear Russians!

There is very little time left until the magical date in our history. The year 2000 is coming. New century, new millennium.

Dear friends! My dears! Today I address you for the last time with New Year greetings. But that's not all. Today I am addressing you for the last time as President of Russia.

I made a decision.

I thought about it long and painfully. Today, on the last day of the passing century, I resign.

I have heard many times: “Yeltsin will hold on to power by any means, he will not give it up to anyone.” This is a lie.

And we, those who have been in power for many years, must leave.

No, that's not for me! Not according to my character!

Today, on this unusually important day for me, I want to say a little more personal words than I usually say.

I want to ask for your forgiveness.

I have always been confident in the amazing wisdom of Russians. So I have no doubt what choice you will make at the end of March 2000.

As I say goodbye, I want to say to each of you: be happy. You deserve happiness. You deserve happiness and peace of mind.

Happy New Year!

Happy new century, my dears!

BY THE WAY

The weekly “Arguments and Facts” (N 45, 1999, p. 23) provides answers to readers’ questions related to the surprise of the 2000 calendar, given by the head of the Time Service of the State Astronomical Institute. PC. Shtenberg, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Professor N. Blinov. (I believe he is quite a competent specialist on the “2000 problem”).

Question: “They keep saying on television, ‘We are about to enter the 21st century.’ ... So when will the 21st century arrive?”

Answer: “It is quite obvious to scientists that the 21st century and the third millennium begin on January 1, 2001. Years, as is known, are counted using ordinal numbers, but there was no zero year...” (Emphasis added).

So much for the whole story about “Year Zero”! Well, since there was no “year zero” and “the counting of years... is carried out by ordinal numbers,” starting from the first year, then, therefore, the 20th century and the second millennium should end with the year 2000, and the 21st century and the third millennium should end with the year 2000. start in 2001.

One can understand the first Russian emperor, who, when issuing his decrees of December 19, 1699 on the reform of the calendar in Russia and of December 20, 1699 “On the celebration of the New Year,” mistakenly believed that January 1, 1700 was not only the beginning of the new year , but also the beginning of a new century. Apparently, I really wanted to combine the transition to Christian chronology with the entry into the new, 18th century.

One can understand the first Russian President B.N. Yeltsin, who wants to combine his departure from big politics with “the last day of the outgoing 20th century.”

But it is difficult to understand the erroneous opinion of others on this issue: “mathematicians, economists, engineers,” politicians, etc.

Apparently, many are influenced by the magic of round dates. But each of those who make mistakes can be justified by the words of another poet, K. Vyazemsky: “And he is in a hurry to live, and he is in a hurry to feel.”

So, Happy New Year 2000 to you, dear colleagues and friends!

Happy last year of the 20th century and the second millennium, dears!

Boris Yeltsin is a man whose name will always be inextricably linked with the modern history of Russia. Some will remember him as the first president, others will invariably see him, first of all, as a talented reformer and democrat, while others will remember voucher privatization, the military campaign in Chechnya, the default and call him a “traitor.” Like any outstanding politician, Boris Nikolaevich will always have supporters and opponents. Within the framework of this publication, we will try to see and understand the last days of his presidency, what caused them, their chronology, logic and meaning of this very act of abdication and transfer of power. This day is already our history, but the history is recent, entertaining and meaningful. How and why this happened, only our descendants will probably know the real reasons and details of this event. But here is one version of the resignation of B. Yeltsin and the transfer of power to V.V. Putin.

At the end of his presidency, B. N. Yeltsin had a tangle of insoluble problems, which for the most part he himself created, in short: starting from strikes and Chechnya and ending with relations with his “partner” - the USA (everyone knows that about his resignation M . S. Gorbachev first informed not his people, but the President of the United States, and B. N. Yeltsin did the same after his election as President of the Russian Federation). This also includes growing health problems.

It was necessary either to give up completely, which was “fraught,” or to somehow fight with the “partner,” which was even more “fraught.”

Yeltsin chooses the second option. Why the second one? Now we can only guess.

This is what one version of those events looks like.

In the last years of his presidency (1991-1999), Boris Yeltsin persistently searched for a successor, but each time he was disappointed in his choice and one by one rejected one candidate after another. So, Shumeiko, Nemtsov, Skokov, Soskovets, Chernomyrdin, Kiriyenko, Stepashin, Aksenenko did not get their chance.

But in the end, the choice was made and in 1999 (the dates are different) Yeltsin informed Putin about his choice.

One source claims that by early May 1999, President Yeltsin had made a broad decision to transfer his power to Putin.
On August 5, at a meeting with Putin, Yeltsin announced that he wanted to appoint him Chairman of the Russian Government.

Yeltsin himself writes that his first conversation with Putin was about his appointment. O. President of Russia took place on December 14, 1999, five days before the elections of the State Duma of the third convocation. According to Yeltsin’s memoirs in the book “Presidential Marathon,” Putin then replied that he was not ready for such a decision. The second conversation about the transfer of power took place on December 29, 1999. On that day, Yeltsin assessed Putin’s mood as more decisive, at the same time he informed his successor that he had finally decided to leave his post on December 31 and informed Putin about the exact scenario for the transfer of power on that day.

On August 9, 1999, Putin was appointed First Deputy and Acting Prime Minister of the Russian Federation. On the same day, in his televised address, President Yeltsin named him his successor. On August 16, 1999, Putin was confirmed as Chairman of the Government by 233 votes of State Duma deputies (84 against and 17 abstaining).

On December 30, 1999, a number of Russian publications published Putin’s policy article “Russia at the turn of the millennium,” in which he outlined his idea of the past and the challenges facing the country. According to Putin, Russia needs strong state power and the consolidation of society. Regarding economic problems, he stated the need for policies aimed at fighting poverty, ensuring growth in the well-being of the population and increasing the efficiency of the Russian economy.

Boris Nikolayevich decided to resign from the presidency in less than two weeks, Yeltsin’s youngest daughter Tatyana Yumasheva reports in her blog.

On the evening of December 28, Boris Yeltsin invited the head of the Presidential Administration, Alexander Voloshin, and the former head, then adviser, Valentin Yumashev (in those years he was not yet Tatyana Borisovna’s husband - editor’s note). The conversation lasted about an hour, after which everyone left. But half an hour later, Boris Yeltsin called Tatyana to his place.
“I came to him and sat down opposite,” recalls Tatyana Yumasheva. “He looked me in the eyes and said: “Tanya, I have made a decision, on December 31 I am resigning.”

In the morning (December 29), dad met with Vladimir Vladimirovich in the Kremlin and informed Putin that he had decided to leave on December 31, on the eve of the New Year. After the conversation V.V. Putin was also somewhat embarrassed.

The Prime Minister then went up to Voloshin and called Tatyana Yumasheva.

Vladimir Vladimirovich said that he asked dad not to leave, states Yeltsin’s daughter. “I saw that in fact it is not easy for Putin to come to terms with the idea that in two days all responsibility for the country will fall on his shoulders. There will be no one behind. And you will have to live with this for many years.

According to Naina Yeltsina, the President’s New Year’s address to the Russians was recorded on December 28, 1999. On the morning of December 31, while getting ready for work, Yeltsin told her that the New Year’s address would be rewritten. And on the way out he said: “You know, I’ve made a decision: I’m resigning. There will be my televised address. Watch TV".

On the afternoon of December 31, Yeltsin records an address to the people, in which he announces that he is resigning and that the duties of the president in accordance with the Constitution are entrusted to Prime Minister V.V. Putin.
It is unknown whether before or after the address, Yeltsin gathered members of the Security Council, the Prime Minister and all the security officials.

3. “Patriarch Alexy came to the Kremlin at the request of the pope. He wanted the patriarch to learn about his resignation not from television news. They remained friends until the last days of the pope.”

4. Boris Yeltsin gives Vladimir Putin the Decree on his appointment. O. president.

Having completed all the formalities, the president handed Putin a nuclear briefcase, a modern symbol of presidential power. In addition, Yeltsin sent letters to the Chairman of the Federation Council and the Chairman of the State Duma, in which he announced the termination of the duties of the President and the temporary execution of the powers of the President by Vladimir Putin.
Before leaving his office, Yeltsin talks about something else with Patriarch Alexy II and Putin.

5. The last time Boris Nikolaevich sat in the presidential chair.

At about 2 p.m., Yeltsin left the Kremlin and went to the country residence of Gorki-9.
He never came to the Kremlin again.

In his address to the Russians, B. N. Yeltsin said: “I understood what I needed to do. Russia must enter the new millennium with new politicians, with new faces, with new - smart, strong, energetic - people. And we, those who have been in power for many years, we must leave... Having seen with what hope and faith people voted for a new generation of politicians in the Duma elections, I realized: I have done the main work of my life. Russia will never return to the past.” B. N. Yeltsin stated that he should not interfere with the natural course of history, and the country has a strong person capable of being President.

From that moment on, a Presidential Decree came into effect, which stated:

"1. In accordance with part 2 of Art. 92 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, as of 12:00 am on December 31, 1999, I cease to exercise the powers of the President of the Russian Federation. 2. In accordance with part 3 of Art. 92 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, the powers of the President of the Russian Federation are temporarily exercised by the Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation from 12:00 on December 31, 1999.”

Thus, Prime Minister V.V. Putin was appointed acting President.

Around midnight, Yeltsin’s speech was repeated, then he delivered a New Year’s address to the citizens of Russia and. O. President Putin.

FAREWELL SPEECH B.N. YELTSIN

BY THE WAY

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