1991 presidential inauguration of
Boris Yeltsin

Boris Yeltsin in 1991
Date	10 July 1991; 32 years ago (1991-07-10)
Location	State Kremlin Palace Moscow
Participants	President of Russia, Boris Yeltsin Assuming office Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of Russia, Ruslan Khasbulatov Administering oath

This article is part of a series about Boris Yeltsin
Early life Presidency Yeltsinism CPSU membership 26th 27th Politburo 26th 27th Central Committee 28th Congress Elections 1991 campaign 1996 campaign (Vote or lose) Loans for shares Semibankirschina Soskovets campaign strategy Xerox affair First term 1st inauguration Gaidar Cabinet August Coup 1st Chernomyrdin Cabinet Constitutional conference 1993 crisis 1st Chechen War International trips ("Circling over Shannon" diplomatic incident) Second term 2nd inauguration Ruble crisis 2nd Chechen War Resignation International trips Post-Presidency Presidential Center Presidential Library Illness Death and state funeral Media gallery
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The first inauguration of Boris Yeltsin as the first president of Russia took place on Wednesday, 10 July 1991. The ceremony was held at the State Kremlin Palace and it lasted about thirty minutes. It was the first presidential inauguration ceremony in the history of Russia.

Background

As a result of nationwide referendum on the introduction of the post of President of Russia, the first presidential election was held. Boris Yeltsin won the elections, gaining more than 58 percent of the vote. He took office a month after the elections.

Inaugural events

In 1991, President of Russia, as well as in the United States, elected together with the Vice President. However, in contrast to the American tradition, Vice President Alexander Rutskoy did not bring an oath, but was present at the ceremony as a guest.

Ceremony

Boris Yeltsin was invited to the podium to take the oath. Yeltsin took the oath of keeping the right hand on your heart, at the same time, the Constitution of Russian SFSR and the Soviet Union, as well as the Declaration of State Sovereignty of Russia lay in front of him. After taking the oath musicians begin to play the Russian anthem.

After completion of the national anthem, Boris Yeltsin went to the desk behind which sat Ruslan Khasbulatov. Sitting at the table Yeltsin and Khasbulatov listened to a speech of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II. After the speech of the Patriarch, Yeltsin delivered his first speech as President of Russia, followed by a congratulatory speech from President of the USSR Mikhail Gorbachev.^[7][8]

Oath

Unlike subsequent inaugural ceremonies on this Boris Yeltsin read out another oath.

I swear in exercising the powers of President of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic to observe the Constitution and laws of the RSFSR, to protect its sovereignty, respect and protect the rights and freedoms of man and citizen, the right of peoples of the RSFSR and conscientiously fulfill the duties entrusted to me by the people.