Yeltsin Center Presents Former Russian President's Legacy
To mark what would have been Boris Yeltsin's 85th birthday on February 1, we are re-upping these pictures from the opening of the Yeltsin Center in Yekaterinburg late last year. A first of its kind in Russia, it showcases the legacy of the former president with a library, museum, and exhibition space. There are more than 30,000 exhibits and 13,000 photos. The center has been financed with $76 million of public money plus around 50 private sponsors, including President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. (RFE/RL's Russian Service)
![Visitors are greeted by Russian President Boris Yeltsin and his wife, Naina, on a big screen.](https://gdb.rferl.org/969efbff-ee46-44d3-80a2-6facbef8a55d_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Visitors are greeted by Russian President Boris Yeltsin and his wife, Naina, on a big screen.
![The view changes to show Yeltsin with his U.S. counterpart, George H.W. Bush. ...](https://gdb.rferl.org/001061a5-3294-4904-8ff5-916d8aab91f4_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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The view changes to show Yeltsin with his U.S. counterpart, George H.W. Bush. ...
![...and then Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov -- initially an ally, later a political rival.](https://gdb.rferl.org/9e5cc239-7e02-40bd-913d-283a83a67752_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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...and then Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov -- initially an ally, later a political rival.
![A model of a Moscow trolley bus. Yetsin used them to get around town when he was secretary of the Moscow City Committee of the Communist Party.](https://gdb.rferl.org/00123a64-5e6d-49da-abca-33aa244d6781_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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A model of a Moscow trolley bus. Yetsin used them to get around town when he was secretary of the Moscow City Committee of the Communist Party.
![Later in his career he could enjoy the Presidential ZiL limousine.](https://gdb.rferl.org/5c2ce91d-c2bb-4018-b606-e471c56907a9_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Later in his career he could enjoy the Presidential ZiL limousine.
![But there's less luxury on show at a mock-up of an early '90s Russian store.](https://gdb.rferl.org/1887d352-84fc-41a2-b4f9-e901fe936cd4_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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But there's less luxury on show at a mock-up of an early '90s Russian store.
![Televisions, VHS players, and clunky hi-fi systems provide more of the flavor of everyday life in the Yeltsin years.](https://gdb.rferl.org/ce317f64-a317-4f38-8df0-f6abc6e00c35_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Televisions, VHS players, and clunky hi-fi systems provide more of the flavor of everyday life in the Yeltsin years.
![Visitors pose for snaps by a bronze statue of Yeltsin.](https://gdb.rferl.org/a5c0ebed-0718-4b21-8d1d-11dc3bb0630f_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Visitors pose for snaps by a bronze statue of Yeltsin.
![There's also a satirical take on the late Russian leader.](https://gdb.rferl.org/938898a7-f71f-4f69-be48-0577f6213a90_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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There's also a satirical take on the late Russian leader.
![Yeltsin's office...](https://gdb.rferl.org/4e5564ca-ef85-4199-b1ac-578868bfdd6a_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Yeltsin's office...
![...and his "nuclear suitcase."](https://gdb.rferl.org/69bf7d3d-bf00-4c98-9d0f-6c62b69fe2d8_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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...and his "nuclear suitcase."
![The Barricades exhibition hall recalls the 1991 Moscow putsch. Yeltsin led the defense of the White House, the Russian parliament building, pictured in the background.](https://gdb.rferl.org/dca6ba6f-b6ff-4638-9e46-804df17a09b6_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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The Barricades exhibition hall recalls the 1991 Moscow putsch. Yeltsin led the defense of the White House, the Russian parliament building, pictured in the background.
![The names of the Yeltsin Center sponsors, including President Vladimir Putin and oligarch Roman Abramovich.](https://gdb.rferl.org/9f1e2ad9-1bac-4881-87ab-607e63ea9914_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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The names of the Yeltsin Center sponsors, including President Vladimir Putin and oligarch Roman Abramovich.
![General view of the Yeltsin Center complex](https://gdb.rferl.org/efb0b8f4-4736-4000-8df3-9f3891f56559_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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General view of the Yeltsin Center complex