Alexander Rutskoy facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alexander Rutskoy
Александр Руцкой
Rutskoy in 2016
Acting President of Russia (disputed)
In office 22 September 1993 – 4 October 1993
Preceded by	Boris Yeltsin
Succeeded by	Boris Yeltsin
Vice President of Russia
In office 10 July 1991 – 4 October 1993
President	Boris Yeltsin
Preceded by	Office created
Succeeded by	Office abolished
Governor of Kursk Oblast
In office 23 October 1996 – 18 November 2000
President	Boris Yeltsin Vladimir Putin
Preceded by	Vasily Shuteyev
Succeeded by	Alexander Mikhailov
Personal details
Born	(1947-09-16) 16 September 1947 (age 77) Proskuriv, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union (now Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine)
Citizenship	Soviet (1947–1991) Russian (1991–present)
Political party	Independent
Other political affiliations	Patriots of Russia (2016) Derzhava (1995–1998) DPCR/NPSR (1991–1994) CP RSFSR (1990–1991) CPSU (1970–1991)
Spouses	Nellie Zolotukhin (div.) Lyudmila Novikova (div.) Irina Popova
Children	Dmitry Alexander Rostislav Catherine
Awards	Hero of the Soviet Union (1988)
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	Soviet Union  Russia
Branch/service	Soviet Air Force Russian Air Force
Years of service	1971–1993
Rank	Major general

Alexander Vladimirovich Rutskoy (Russian: Александр Владимирович Руцкой; born 16 September 1947) is a Russian politician and a former Soviet military officer. He was the only Vice President of Russia from 1991 to 1993. He became the acting president for a short time in 1993. This happened during a big political disagreement known as the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis.

Rutskoy was born in Proskuriv, Ukraine (now Khmelnytskyi). He was a brave air force officer during the Soviet–Afghan War. For his courage, he received the top honor, Hero of the Soviet Union. In 1991, Boris Yeltsin chose him to be his running mate for vice president. However, Rutskoy later disagreed with Yeltsin's plans for the economy and foreign relations. In September 1993, Yeltsin tried to close down the Russian parliament. The parliament then removed Yeltsin from power and named Rutskoy as acting president. After a two-week standoff, Yeltsin used the military to take control. Rutskoy was arrested and removed from his position. He was later released from prison in 1994. From 1996 to 2000, Rutskoy served as the governor of Kursk Oblast.

Early Life and Military Career

Alexander Rutskoy was born in Proskuriv, which was then part of the Soviet Union. He studied at military schools and became a Soviet Air Force colonel. He was sent to Afghanistan during the Soviet–Afghan War.

Alexander Rutskoy in 1992

In Afghanistan, Rutskoy led an air attack unit. His aircraft was shot down twice, but he managed to escape safely both times. On a third mission, his plane was shot down over Pakistan. He was captured and held briefly as a POW. The U.S. helped secure his release. For flying many dangerous missions and showing great bravery, he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union in 1988. This is one of the highest honors in the Soviet Union.

Becoming Vice President

In 1991, Boris Yeltsin chose Rutskoy to be his running mate for the 1991 Russian presidential election. They won the election, and Rutskoy became the first and only Vice President of Russia.

As vice president, Rutskoy spoke out on important issues. He supported the idea of Transnistria and Crimea being independent from Moldova and Ukraine.

Disputes over Crimea

In 1991, Rutskoy visited Kyiv to discuss natural gas prices. During this visit, he also said that Russia should control the Black Sea fleet and the Crimean Peninsula. This caused disagreements with Ukraine. The Russian parliament later passed resolutions supporting Russia's claim over Crimea.

The 1993 Political Crisis

After working with Yeltsin for a while, Rutskoy started to disagree with his policies. He also accused some government officials of corruption. In September 1993, President Yeltsin tried to close down the Russian parliament. This action went against the country's laws at the time.

In response, the parliament immediately said Yeltsin's order was invalid. They then removed him from power and announced that Rutskoy was the new acting president. Rutskoy took an oath and declared that Yeltsin's actions were illegal. However, other countries did not recognize Rutskoy as the acting president.

This led to a two-week standoff in Moscow. There was violence in the streets. On October 4, 1993, Yeltsin's military forces took control of the parliament building. Rutskoy and his supporters were arrested. Yeltsin officially removed Rutskoy from his vice president role and from the military. Rutskoy was held in prison until February 1994. He and others involved in the crisis were later given amnesty (forgiveness) by the State Duma.

After his release, Rutskoy started a political party called Derzhava. However, his party did not win enough votes in the 1995 elections.

Governor of Kursk Oblast

Rutskoy and Putin in May 2000

In 1996, Rutskoy decided to run for governor of Kursk Oblast. He won the election by a large margin, with about 76% of the votes. He served as governor until 2000.

When he tried to run for a second term in October 2000, he was stopped by a court decision. The court said he had misused his power and provided incorrect information about his property. He appealed this decision, but the higher court upheld the ban.

Later Political Activities

Rutskoy continued to try to be involved in politics. In the 2003 Russian legislative election, he ran for a seat in the State Duma. However, his registration as a candidate was canceled because of wrong information about his workplace.

In the 2014 Russian elections, he tried to run for Governor of Kursk Oblast again. But he was not allowed to register due to problems with the nomination process.

In the 2016 Russian legislative election, he ran for the State Duma once more. He was part of the Patriots of Russia party list. His party did not get enough votes to enter parliament, and he did not win his individual election.

See also

In Spanish: Aleksandr Rutskói para niños