Yeltsin

American  

[yelt-sin] / ˈyɛlt sɪn /

noun

1. Boris Nikolayevich 1931–2007, president of the Russian Federation 1991–99.

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Yeltsin British  

/ jeltsin, ˈjɛltsɪn /

noun

1. Boris ( Nicolayevich ). 1931–2007, Russian politician: president of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (1990–91); president of Russia (1991–99)

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Example Sentences

"This trend towards a more pragmatic relationship… goes back to the Soviet system of Andropov, Chernenko, Gorbachev, Yeltsin," he says.

From BBC • May 18, 2026

A physicist by education, Nemtsov rose to fame in the 1990s as a young, liberal provincial governor, and was widely tipped to take over from Boris Yeltsin.

From Barron's • Feb. 27, 2026

Dmitri had to give up his dream of joining the KGB when his hope that the new president, Boris Yeltsin, would be removed by the remnants of the Communist regime were dashed.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 26, 2026

But ultimately, he lost much of his power and influence to the guy who got all that pizza: Yeltsin, the public face of the anti-coup resistance.

From Slate • Nov. 13, 2025

As one of his final acts, Gorbachev passed the Soviet nuclear codes—which could initiate a nuclear missile launch—to Boris Yeltsin, the president of the Russian Federation.

From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau