Constitutional Crisis of 1993

The 1993 Russian constitutional crisis was a confrontation between President Boris Yeltsin and the Parliament. Yeltsin attempted to dissolve Parliament to curb opposition to his reforms. Parliament supporters saw this step as unconstitutional and declared Vice President Alexander Rutskoy as acting President. Supporters of both sides engaged in armed clashes, and the crisis nearly escalated into a civil war. The crisis ended with Yeltsin’s victory and consolidation of power. Subsequently, a new constitution was adopted, and legislative elections were held.