Page 70 - Mongolia & the Gobi Desert

discourse and criticism of the government became possible again. Perestroika meant sweeping
economic reforms designed to decentralize the planning of the Soviet economy. However, his
initiatives provoked strong resentment amongst conservative elements of the government, and
an unsuccessful military coup that attempted to remove Gorbachev from power instead led to
the collapse of the Soviet Union. Boris Yeltsin came to power and declared the end of exclusive
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dissolved in December of 1991.

Post-Soviet Russia

Prior to the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Boris Yeltsin had been elected President of Russia
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of the USSR, the Russian economy went through a crisis. Russia took up the responsibility
for settling the USSR’s external debts, even though its population made up just half of the
population of the USSR at the time of its dissolution. The largest state enterprises (petroleum,
metallurgy, and the like) were controversially privatized for the small sum of $US 600 million,
far less than they were worth, while the majority of population plunged into poverty.
Yeltsin disbanded the Supreme Soviet and the Congress of People’s Deputies by decree, which
was illegal under the constitution. On the same day there was a military showdown, the
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resulted in a number of civilian casualties, but was resolved in Yeltsin’s favor. Elections
were held and the current Constitution of the Russian Federation was adopted on December
12, 1993.

Vladimir Putin was elected in 2000. Although President Putin is still the most popular Russian
politician, with a 70% approval rating, his policies raised serious concerns about civil society
and human rights in Russia. The West and particularly the United States expressed growing
worries about the state control of the Russian media through Kremlin-friendly companies,
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At the same time, high oil prices and growing internal demand boosted Russian economic
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military spending. Putin’s presidency has shown improvements in the Russian standard of
living, as opposed to the 1990s. Even with these economic improvements, the government
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deteriorated urban infrastructure throughout the country. Despite the economic distress and
decreased military funding following the fall of the Soviet Union, the country retains its large
weapons and especially nuclear weapons arsenal.

In March of 2008 Russian Dmitry Medvedev was chosen as the President of Russia. During this
period, Vladimir Putin served as Prime Minister. In March of 2012, Putin was elected to a third
term as president.

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