Who was the first democratically elected President of Russia?

Boris Yeltsin came to power with a wave of high expectations. On June 12, 1991 he was elected president of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic with 57% of the vote, becoming the first popular and democratically elected president. But, his time in office was clearly marked by widespread corruption, economic collapse, and enormous political and social problems. So, he served as president from July 1991 until December 1999.

Under enormous internal pressure, Yeltsin resigned on December 31, 1999. He left the presidency in the hands of his chosen successor, then Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. Yeltsin was very unpopular with the Russian population when he departed.

Boris Yeltsin died on April 23, 2007 at the age of 76 of congestive heart failure in Moscow, Russia.