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More than ten years ago Russia faced the most dramatic presidential elections in its relatively short democratic period of history. From today's point of view, a decade old intense events of those days are viewed as history. It seems that the choice between two main candidates, Yeltsin and the leader of the Communist Party Zyuganov, was not that crucial after all. Say, the communists won. It's possible that they would implement a mild policy that is not based on the nationalization of the property that was already privatized. Yes, it is possible. But back then, in 1996, it certainly didn't seem so to Russians, and the prospects of new redistribution of property, most likely, a bloody redistribution, were accessed as very real ones.

May be that is the reason, why Yeltsin, widely unpopular in winter of 1996 among his countrymen, won the elections. Or, may be, it was due to the unprecedented agitation and extremely expensive (and extensive) electoral campaign that allowed Yeltsin, who entered the election race with the catastrophically low rating in winter 1996, to win with 53% in the second round against Zyuganov, who received 40%. In between the first and the second round the population was persuaded in the reality of the communist revenge, and those citizens of Russia who already were disappointed by Yeltsin, still voted for him just because they didn't want to return to the communist past. The task of the legitimization of the forced 1991-1995 revolution in Russia was successfully fulfilled by the 1996 elections, even though in spring of 1996 no one believed in Yeltsin's victory, and Yeltsin himself was on the verge of politically suicidal decision of banning the Communist party and cancellation of the elections.
If anyone cares for a personal opinion of the insider, one thing that added to the Yeltsin's victory at the second round was a very smart political move made by Yeltsin shortly after the first round of elections. The candidate that came third, a well-respected war General Aleksandr Lebed was appointed by Yeltsin to the post of the secretary of the Security Counsel. He appeared by Yeltsin's side in front of the TV cameras and thus in fact supported him before the second round. Considering that he got 14% in the first round (Yeltsin had 35, and Zyuganov - 32) that was indeed a significant support.
Anyhow, the choice of the further path was taken, and it was, indeed, a historical event for Russia. With no doubt, it put the end to the possibility of the communism restoration.
As of the years that followed, so called "regime of oligarchs" began and lead to the greatest dissatisfaction of Russian people. But still it was during the second term of Yeltsin's presidency when the most painful economic reforms took place and the foundation of the constitutional system was laid. It were the 1996 elections that put the foundation of the future political and economic stability of the country and provided the continuity of the political power in Russia.

Learn more about this author, Marina Ivanova.
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