Former Russian President Boris Yeltsin, who died Monday at age 76, was, besides much else, a prolific writer, penning three memoirs in his lifetime. The books are, at times, candid and revealing. Here are some excerpts.
Yeltsin on the 1993 Coup Attempt
"I was sitting glued to the television (I hadn't put on a shirt yet) and kept glancing at the faces of my wife and daughters, comparing their reaction to mine. Everyone was shaken. My wife, Naina, was the first to get a grip on herself. 'Borya, who should we call?' she asked me almost through clenched teeth. I phoned everyone who was available and told them they would now be needed to work.
"As we sat there with our papers, a tank was parked outside. It was absurd and yet real at the same time. I looked out the window. As I watched, the armored vehicle was surrounded by a crowd. People were not afraid to approach the tanks, although they were Soviet people, raised in the Soviet system. People were even lining up; they weren't afraid of the tank treads.
"Suddenly, I felt a jolt inside. I had to be out there right away, standing with those people. I clambered onto a tank and straightened myself up tall. Perhaps I felt clearly at that moment that we were winning, that we couldn't lose. I had a sense of utter clarity, complete unity with the people standing around me. This improvised rally on the tank was not a propaganda gimmick. After coming out to the people, I felt a surge of energy and an enormous sense of relief."
-- From The Struggle for Russia by Boris Yeltsin, 1994. Belka Publishing.
Yeltsin on His Sleepless Nights
"I suffer from insomnia. I get up at 2:00 or 3:00 a.m., pace around the room, drink some tea and still can't fall asleep. I don't like to take sleeping pills and they don't help anyway. At these times I feel like talking to someone, but everyone's asleep. At 2 in the morning, you recall all sorts of things and mull over matters that are not always so pleasant; in a word, you become more open and sincere with yourself than during the day in your office, when all your buttons are buttoned."
-- From The Struggle for Russia.
Yeltsin on the New Russia
"Fear is disappearing in Russia. The president is a citizen and not some kind of exceptional being sitting somewhere on high, intimidating and inaccessible. The people can now imagine anyone in my place. And, oh, how they lambaste me! The seemingly endless gulf between society and the government in Russia has now been bridged. People no longer want an abstract government in the Kremlin. The person who has taken upon himself the title of 'leader' must be comprehensible, controllable and dependent upon public opinion. He must listen."
-- From The Struggle for Russia.
Yeltsin on His Surprise Decision to Step Down in 1999
"The setting was the reception hall of the Kremlin, with a decorated tree, gilded grandfather clocks and customary ritual; the speech was to include the standard New Year greetings. A camera crew from ORT, Russia's public-television station, worked briskly and attentively. There were just a few people — the producer, the cameraman and the sound and light men. I wished Russians a happy New Year and got up from my desk. The lighted text on the prompter grew dim.
"'So, here's the story,' I said dryly. 'My voice is hoarse today, and I don't like the text. So we're going to retape the speech.' My speechwriters' faces fell. I hadn't commented on the text before then, and my announcement came as a complete surprise.
"I couldn't reveal the real reason for my apparent capriciousness. I had decided to resign from the office of president. I was leaving deliberately, of my own volition. I was putting all the force of my political will into this act. Therefore any leak, any advance talk, any forecasts or proposals would put the impact of the decision in jeopardy."
-- From Midnight Diaries by Boris Yeltsin, 2000. PublicAffairs Books.
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