Russia: reforms, the constitution and the new century
Lessons 4 · 1 lessons · Sh. Ergashev, B. Xodjayev, J. Abdullayev. World History (1991–2017): textbook for Grade 11 of secondary schools and for students of secondary specialised and vocational institutions. 1st edition. “Turon-Iqbol”, Tashkent, 2018
4
The Russian Federation, 1991–2017
Textbook: pp. 19–22
GoalDescribe Russia’s economic and political changes in the 1990s and the main trends after 2000.
New words
shock therapy, rapid price liberalization and market reform · shok terapiyasithe State Duma, the lower house of Russia’s parliament · Davlat DumasiFederation Treaty, the 1992 agreement dividing powers between the centre and the regions · Federativ shartnomasanctions, restrictions imposed by states on another state · sanksiyalar
Explanation
On 2 January 1992 the government of Yegor Gaidar freed prices: this “shock therapy” sped up the move to a market economy, but prices jumped, many people’s savings lost value and output fell. In September–October 1993 the conflict between President Boris Yeltsin and parliament ended in armed fighting in Moscow, and on 12 December a referendum adopted a new Constitution that created a strong presidency and a two-chamber Federal Assembly (the Federation Council and the State Duma). Relations with the regions were regulated by the 1992 Federation Treaty and separate agreements, while with Chechnya there was war in 1994–1996 and again from 1999. After the financial crisis of August 1998 the economy grew fast in the 2000s thanks to rising oil prices; Vladimir Putin took over when Yeltsin resigned at the end of 1999 and was elected president in 2000. Under him central power strengthened; critics stress that the room for media and opposition shrank, while the government points to the need for stability and state sovereignty. After the events in Crimea in 2014, and Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine from 24 February 2022, Western states imposed wide-ranging sanctions on Russia.
Worked examples
The 1993 Constitution gave the president broad powers in forming the government and in legislation. Laws are passed by the State Duma, while the Federation Council is the upper chamber made up of representatives of the regions.
In August 1998 Russia stopped payments on its domestic debt and devalued the rouble. In the following years export revenues grew and the economy expanded by several per cent a year on average in 1999–2008.
Class activity
Write four events on cards (January 1992, October 1993, December 1993, August 1998), shuffle them, and have pairs put them in the right order and state the consequence of each in one sentence.
Practice
1
What were the consequences of freeing prices in January 1992?
Prices rose sharply, savings lost value and output fell, but the move to a market economy began.
2
When and how was Russia’s current Constitution adopted?
On 12 December 1993 by a nationwide vote (referendum).
3
What does the Federation Treaty show about relations between the centre and the regions? Use the 1994 agreement with Tatarstan as an example.
Powers were divided through negotiation: although Tatarstan had not signed the 1992 treaty, in 1994 it reached a separate agreement with the centre.
4
Why did Russia’s population fall in the 1990s? Give two reasons.
Because of economic hardship the birth rate fell and mortality (especially among men) rose; some people also left the country.