In March 1997, Russian President, Boris Yeltsin formed a new government after a major shake-up of his cabinet.
The existing Prime Minster, Victor Chernomyrdin, was pushed to the background while two new first deputy Prime Ministers were appointed – Anatoly Chubais and Boris Nemtsov.
This was no mere cosmetic change of face at the Kremlin. It represented a watershed in the post-1991 history of Russia. For the last five years Yeltsin has tried to balance the competing factions within the post-Stalinist ruling elite while destroying all vestiges of the bureaucratic planned economy. Read more...