Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin, who was born in 1931 in the outback of the Sverdlovsk Region, made a dizzying career, moving from a master at a construction plant to the first President of the Russian Federation.
His political activities were controversially evaluated by contemporaries, but global discussions began when Yeltsin died. It is impossible to give an unambiguous answer to the question of the legality of his decisions, but one thing is certain - Boris Nikolaevich led our country along a completely new road that opens up great prospects.
Life after retirement
After seven years in the presidency, Boris Yeltsin with particular joy signed a decree on his resignation. Now he could completely and completely devote his time to his beloved wife Naina, children and grandchildren.
The first time after official retirement, Boris Yeltsin participated in the country's public life. Including at the inauguration ceremony of V.V. Putin after the March 2000 elections.
Ministers and politicians often visited Yeltsin’s dacha, according to which Boris Nikolaevich was not always pleased with the actions of his successor. But soon these visits ended, and the former president began a quiet life away from politics.
Several times, Yeltsin came to the Kremlin at the award ceremony. In 2006, the President of Latvia awarded Boris Nikolaevich the Order of Three Stars.
A few months before he died, Boris Yeltsin visited Jordan and Israel. Visited the Dead Sea.
Illness and death
According to some doctors, a trip abroad could provoke a deterioration in health. A few days after returning to his native land, Yeltsin was hospitalized in a clinical hospital with an acute viral infection. It was she who caused the failure of some internal organs.
In the hospital, the ex-president spent almost two weeks. According to his attending physician, death did not portend anything. However, on April 23, 2007, his heart stopped and Yeltsin died. In 1996, cardiac surgeon R. Achkurin performed heart bypass surgery on the president and, in his opinion, it should not have been refused.
For all relatives, friends and compatriots, the day of April 23, when Boris Yeltsin died, was a day of mourning.
Funeral preparation
In the recent history of Russia, the funeral of the head of state has not yet been held. Yeltsin’s burial was the first of its kind. Of course, there were no traditions or rituals. Therefore, when Yeltsin died, Russian President Vladimir V. Putin instructed to develop the appropriate stages of the ceremony.
An urgent commission was established to organize the funeral, led by Sergei Sobyanin.
The funeral of the first president of Russia was not at all like the repose of the first persons of the Soviet state. For the first time, it was decided to hold a funeral service in the main church of the country, since Boris Nikolaevich was a believer.
The funeral was to be carried out by Metropolitan Juvenal with the help of Metropolitans Cyril and Clement. Alexy II, Metropolitan of All Russia, could not arrive at the ceremony as he was being treated abroad.
A simple oak coffin with the body of the former president was delivered to the temple on April 24. It was possible to say goodbye to Boris Yeltsin to every citizen of the country. The Cathedral of Christ the Savior was open all night. The flow of people was not very stormy, but by noon the next day there were those who had not managed to get a farewell and pay tribute to the deceased.
On the day of the funeral, April 25, 2007, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior was closed to the funeral of Boris N. Yeltsin.
Funeral service
The official farewell ceremony began on April 25 at about one in the afternoon. The highest officials of the state, Yeltsin’s associates, his closest friends and relatives, and some artists came to her. This day was declared a day of mourning throughout the country.
It is noteworthy that the State Duma has not stopped its work. And the deputies of the Communist Party faction refused to honor Yeltsin's memory with a moment of silence.
Among foreign politicians, farewell to Yeltsin was attended by former US presidents Clinton and Bush Sr., former prime ministers of the United Kingdom, Canada, Italy, as well as the presidents of Poland, Finland, Bulgaria and many others. It is noteworthy that Mikhail Gorbachev, the first and last President of the USSR, arrived at the funeral of Boris Nikolaevich.
When Yeltsin died, it was decided to hold a farewell ceremony in accordance with the Orthodox canons, so the Psalter was read all night over the coffin, then a memorial liturgy and the funeral service itself lasted about two hours.
The funeral
After the ceremony in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the coffin with the body of the ex-president was moved to the hearse and delivered to the Novodevichy cemetery in Moscow. On the central avenue on a gun carriage under the ringing of a bell, Yeltsin’s body was delivered to the right place.
From the closed coffin of Boris Yeltsin, they removed the Russian flag and handed it to Naina Yeltsin, his wife. The family was once again allowed to say goodbye to the deceased, at which time the female choir of the monastery performed “Eternal memory”.
Yeltsin was buried at 17.00 to the sounds of artillery volleys and the anthem of the Russian Federation.
Wake on the former president of Russia took place in the St. George Hall of the Kremlin. They were attended by about five hundred people. The only ones who delivered the speech were Vladimir Putin and Yeltsin’s wife, Naina Iosifovna.
Memory
When Yeltsin died, the president of Russia put forward a proposal to assign the name of the ex-president to the St. Petersburg library.
The name of Boris Yeltsin is in Yekaterinburg.
A year after the funeral, a monument in the form of the Russian flag by G. Frangulyan was solemnly erected on Yeltsin’s grave.
Many monuments and plaques are open not only in Russia but also abroad. For example, in Kyrgyzstan, Estonia, Kyrgyzstan.
About Boris Yeltsin, a number of documentaries, as well as several films, such as “Yeltsin. Three days in August. "
What year did Yeltsin die?
There is a theory put forward by publicist Yu. Mukhin, according to which the real Yeltsin died in 1996, during a heart operation or due to another heart attack, and the country was ruled by a double.
As evidence, the journalist used photographs taken before 1996 and after.
The consequence of the publication of articles in the newspaper “Duel” was a great public outcry. The State Duma even put forward a project to test the capacity of the president, but was not accepted for execution.
The history of the Soviet Union knows cases when the highest party leaders did have doubles who went to potentially dangerous events with a large crowd of people.
However, Yeltsin’s double theory did not find any official confirmation, and the question “In what year did Yeltsin die?” there is only one answer - in 2007.