Background
El’tsin, Boris was born on February 1, 1931.
El’tsin, Boris was born on February 1, 1931.
Graduated from the Ural Polytechnical Institute, 1955.
Worked as a foreman, work superintendent, engineer, and chief of a construction office of the Iuzhgorstroi Trust, 1955-1963. Chief engineer, then chief of the House Construction Combine in Sverdlovsk Oblast’ Committee, 1966-1976. Secretary of the Sverdlovsk Obkom, 1968-1976, 1st Secretary, November 1974.
Met Mikhail Gorbachev who brought him to Moscow. Deputy of the USSR Supreme Soviet, 1974. From 1981, member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.
In 1985, replaced Viktor Grishin as Moscow party leader, and began a ruthless campaign against corruption. Nicknamed the ‘nononsense Moscow boss’. After a speech attacking opponents of perestroika on 21 October 1987, removed from his post of Moscow party boss, November 1987.
During President Reagan’s visit to Moscow, June 1988, gave sensational TV interviews to BBC and American TV, demanding the resignation of Ligachev, whom he called an opponent of perestroika.
Maintained also that previous reports of his criticism of Gorbachev and of his recantation were inaccurate.