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1991 presidential inauguration of
Boris Yeltsin

Boris Yeltsin in 1991
Date	10 July 1991; 33 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
1996 →

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 president of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR) 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.

As a result of a nationwide referendum on the introduction of the office of president of the RSFSR, the first presidential election was held on 12 June 1991. Boris Yeltsin won the elections, gaining more than 58 percent of the vote.

Yeltsin took an oath in front of a podium displaying the Constitution of the RSFSR and that of the Soviet Union, as well as the Declaration of State Sovereignty of Russia. After taking the oath, the Russian anthem was performed. Speeches were given by Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II, President Yeltsin, and President of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev.^[7][8]

In contrast to the American tradition, Vice President Alexander Rutskoy, who was elected alongside Yeltsin, did not bring an oath, but was present at the ceremony as a guest.

The following oath was read by Yeltsin (his right hand over his chest) at his inauguration:

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.