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Russian Federation

The Reelection of Boris Yeltsin

July 26, 2022

Russia, 1996: President Boris Yeltsin is sick and unpopular. But elections are coming up. To prevent Communist Gennady Zyuganov from winning, Yeltsin's supporters ally with oligarchs and Western powers.

https://p.dw.com/p/4D8qq
Politikdrama um die Wiederwahl Boris Jelzins 1996
Image: Point du Jour
Politikdrama um die Wiederwahl Boris Jelzins 1996
Image: Point du Jour

At the beginning of the presidential campaign, forecasts indicate that President Yeltsin had almost no chance. Just four percent of the electoral vote was predicted to go to him. His rival was Communist candidate Gennady Zyuganov - a favorite among those who were the losers, in the post-Soviet transformation. In the end, President Yeltsin was re-elected with 54 percent. How could he have succeeded?

Politikdrama um die Wiederwahl Boris Jelzins 1996
Image: Point du Jour

The battle already seemed lost. But Yeltsin's supporters in the Kremlin sought out allies in Russia's new moneyed elite. These bankers and oligarchs who had grown rich since the end of the Soviet Union had something in common with Yeltsin's people: Namely, they wanted to prevent a reversal of the liberalization of the Russian economy. Together, these new allies launched a relentless campaign with a huge budget. In the process, they weren’t afraid to indulge in some large-scale fraud - something the campaign’s masterminds admit without apology. But the pact between Yeltsin's people and the oligarchs came at a high price: the Russian government paid for loyalty with transfers of important state enterprises to the same oligarchs.

Politikdrama um die Wiederwahl Boris Jelzins 1996
Tatyana DyachenkoImage: Point du Jour

In "With a Little Help from His Friends - The Re-election of Boris Yeltsin", the most important actors of the time describe the months leading up to the election campaign. They include Yeltsin's daughter and advisor Tatyana Dyachenko, former Deputy Prime Minister Anatoly Chubais, disgraced oligarch Sergei Pugachev, and former IMF President Michel Camdessus.

Russian voters were told at the time to "vote or lose." They voted and lost - most importantly, their chance at democracy. Part thriller, part Shakespearean drama, the film uses archival footage, eyewitness accounts and computer animation to convey unique insider knowledge. It provides insight into a time that not only decided the fate of Russia, but also significantly influenced world history.


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