WebApr 19, 2024 · Boris Yeltsin (born February 1, 1931, Sverdlovsk [now Yekaterinburg], Russia, U.S.S.R.—died April 23, 2007, Moscow, Russia) was a Russian politician who became president of Russia in 1990. In 1991 he became the first popularly elected leader in the country’s history, guiding Russia through a stormy decade of political and economic ...