December 31, 1999, the Russians did not expect that come out from behind a festive table with the new President. But then, 20 years ago, under the chiming clock was a change of eras.
Right after the farewell speech of aged and tired the first President of independent Russia was the new, young and energetic politician. The word "successor" to that time had entered the political lexicon.
the Director of FSB, Secretary of the Security Council Vladimir Putin was appointed Prime Minister in August of '99, but even earlier, in may of' 98, became part of the administration of Boris Yeltsin.
In the "inner circle" of the first President is almost openly talked about the fact that, for a number of reasons it is too risky to wait for a period expiring in mid-2000:
"This dramatic transfer [of power] on new year's night it was, of course, insurance against the unexpected and the desire to exclude some of whatever power vacuum," says Sergei Stankevich adviser to Boris Yeltsin. "Very strong was the Communists and the populists, they could challenge the procedure [transfer] of power and could be a constitutional and political crisis".
Officially the head of state Vladimir Putin began in March of 2000 after winning the presidential election in the first round.
Evaluation of the results of two decades of activity as President, then Prime Minister, then President again meet absolutely the opposite. Today, supporters of President talking about "stability"; opponents of "stagnation".
But there is no doubt that at the turn of the century Vladimir Putin headed actually another country.
"in the country just throwed the default of 1998, the economy still barely moving, collapsing government, bloomed the Russian oligarchy, the miners' strike continued. All this, of course, pointed to the fact that the state is weak, the government is weak and the risk is very serious destabilization was there," says Sergei Stankevich.
Current — the fourth — Vladimir Putin's term expires in 2024, and under current law, it should change another President. Putin himself at a press conference did not rule out changing the Constitution so that this life became his last.
