1991–92 Russian gubernatorial elections

Gubernatorial elections in 1991 and 1992 took place in 11 federal subjects of Russia. Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Tatarstan, Kalmykia, Mari El, Mordovia, Sakha and Chuvashia held their first elections in 1991. In Adygea and Kabardino-Balkaria second tours were held after the New Year celebrations. Tuva was the only one region of the Russian Federation to held its first presidential election in 1992, ignoring the year-long moratorium introduced by Russian parliament in late 1991.

1991–92 Russian gubernatorial elections

12 June 1991 – 15 March 1992 1993 →
12 Heads of Federal Subjects from 89

In Adygea, Mari El, Tatarstan and Sakha, the language qualification was applied at the elections, that is, the candidates were required to know the language of the titular ethnic group.^[1]

Background

In 1990, a fundamentally important reform took place: the speakers of the regional Supreme Councils (in the republics) and the chairmen of the Soviets of People's Deputies (in oblasts, krais, autonomous okrugs and federal cities) became senior officials instead of the first secretaries of the CPSU local committees.^[2]

After the August putsch of 1991, Russian President Boris Yeltsin signed a decree "On the issues of the activities of executive authorities." According to this document, regional administrations with Head of administration as the senior official in the region. Heads of administrations were appointed and removed from office by the president. However, this rule did not apply to autonomous republics where the highest official was elected directly by voters or by deputies of local parliaments (In 1991, elections were held in 8 of 21 republics). On 24 October 1991, the Supreme Soviet of Russia adopted the law "On the election of the head of administration" and scheduled the elections in a number of Russian regions for December 8 of the same year.

However a week later, on November 1, the Congress of People's Deputies introduced a moratorium on gubernatorial elections until December 1992 and approved the president's right to appoint regional leaders.^[3]

Race summary

Region	Date	Head of the region before election	Candidates	Head of the region after election
Moscow	12 June	Gavriil Popov, chairman of the city council	Y Gavriil Popov 65.3% Valery Saykin 16.3%	Gavriil Popov, mayor
Leningrad	12 June	Anatoly Sobchak, chairman of the city council	Y Anatoly Sobchak 66.1% Yuri Sevenard 25.7%	Anatoly Sobchak, mayor
Tatar SSR	12 June	Mintimer Shaymiyev, chairman of the Supreme Soviet	Y Mintimer Shaymiyev 70.6%	Mintimer Shaymiyev, president
Kalmyk SSR	19 October, 3 November	Vladimir Basanov, chairman of the Supreme Soviet	Batyr Mikhailov 45.3% Vladimir Basanov 40.37%	Vladimir Basanov, chairman of the Supreme Soviet (election results invalidated)
Chechnya	27 October	disputed	Y Dzhokhar Dudayev (VDP) 90.1%	Dzhokhar Dudayev, president
Mari SSR	8 December, 15 December	Vladislav Zotin, chairman of the Supreme Soviet	Y Vladislav Zotin 48.09% / 58.84% Anatoly Popov (Mari Ushem) 11.19% / 15.01%	Vladislav Zotin, president
Chuvash SSR	8 December, 22 December	Eduard Kubarev, chairman of the Supreme Soviet	Atner Khuzangai 20.2% / 46.4% Leonid Prokopyev 28.3% / 43.1%	Eduard Kubarev, chairman of the Supreme Soviet (election results invalidated)
Mordovian SSR	14 December, 22 December	Nikolay Biryukov, chairman of the Supreme Soviet	Y Vasily Guslyannikov 16.56% / 56.25% Nikolay Biryukov 18.88% / 36.25%	Vasily Guslyannikov, president
Yakut–Sakha SSR	20 December	Mikhail Nikolayev, chairman of the Supreme Soviet	Y Mikhail Nikolayev 76.70% Ivan Cherov 7.30%	Mikhail Nikolayev, president
SSR Adygea	22 December, 5 January 1992	Aslan Dzharimov, chairman of the Supreme Soviet	Y Aslan Dzharimov 39.8% / 69.4% Pshimaf Khakuz 17.3% / 23.4%	Aslan Dzharimov, president
Kabardino-Balkarian SSR	22 December, 5 January 1992	Khachim Karmokov, chairman of the Supreme Soviet	Y Valery Kokov 39.30% / 88.86% Felix Kharayev 19.75%	Valery Kokov, president
Tuva	15 March 1992	Kaadyr-ool Bicheldey, chairman of the Supreme Soviet	Y Sherig-ool Oorzhak 83.2%	Sherig-ool Oorzhak, president

Moscow

1991 Moscow mayoral election

12 June 1991 1996 →

Candidate Gavriil Popov Running mate Yury Luzhkov Percentage 65.3%

Election of the Mayor and Vice Mayor of Moscow were held on 12 June 1991 simultaneously with the election of the President of the RSFSR. Chairman of the Moscow City Council Gavriil Popov won earning 65% of the vote. In June 1992 Popov resigned and his vice mayor, former chairman of the city executive committee Yury Luzhkov succeeded him.

Former chairman of executive committee of the Moscow City Council Valery Saykin, Chairman of Sevastopolsky District council Aleksey Bryachikhin, Head of Spektr scientific production association Vladimir Klyuyev were the opponents of Popov-Luzhkov ticket.^[4]

Mayor	Vice Mayor	Results[4][5]
Gavriil Popov	Yury Luzhkov	65.3%
Valery Saykin		16.3%
Aleksey Bryachikhin	Leonard Popov	4.5%
Vladimir Klyuyev	Anatoly Solovyov	4.3%
Valentina Rodionova		3.8%

Leningrad

1991 Leningrad mayoral election

12 June 1991 1996 →
Turnout	64.89%[6]
Candidate Anatoly Sobchak Running mate Vyacheslav Shcherbakov [ru] Popular vote 1,623,659 Percentage 66.13%

Election of the Mayor of Leningrad were held on 12 June 1991 simultaneously with the election of the President of the RSFSR. Chairman of Leningrad City Council Anatoly Sobchak won with 66% of the vote, representing the democratic anti-communist forces. Sobchak's only rival was Yuri Sevenard, member of the Leningrad City Council, director of Lengidroenergospetsstroy industrial construction association. Three month later Leningrad was officially renamed Saint Petersburg following a referendum.^[7]

Candidate	Votes[6]	%
Anatoly Sobchak	1,623,659	66.13%
Yuri Sevenard	631,367	25.72%
Against all	175,532	7.15%
Invalid ballots	25,258	1.03%
Turnout	2,455,089	64.89%
Registered voters	3,783,284

Tatarstan

1991 Tatarstani presidential election

12 June 1991 1996 →
Turnout	63.4%[5]
Candidate Mintimer Shaimiev Running mate Vasily Likhachyov Percentage 70.6%

Presidential elections in Tatarstan were held on 12 June 1991 simultaneously with the election of the President of Russia. Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of Tatar Soviet Socialist Republic Mintimer Shaymiyev ran uncontested, earning 70.6% of the vote.^[5] On July 4 Shaymiyev was sworn in as the first president of Tatarstan.^[8]

Kalmykia

The first presidential election in Kalmykia was held on 19 October and 3 November 1991. 62.7% of the population participated in the first tour and 57.6% in the second tour.^[5] Neither of three candidates, chairman of the Council of Ministers Batyr Mikhailov, Supreme Soviet chairman Vladimir Basanov^[9] or head of Chernozemelsky District administration Vladimir Chumudov^[10] could reach 50% of the vote in first round or in the runoff, as the laws required.

Next elections were held in April 1993 with Kirsan Ilyumzhinov becoming President of Kalmykia.

Candidate	First tour[10]	Second tour[11]
Batyr Mikhailov	33.7%	45.3%
Vladimir Basanov	32.1%	40.37%
Vladimir Chumudov	no data
Turnout	62.7%	57.6%

Chechnya

Main article: 1991 Chechen presidential election

1991 Chechen presidential election

27 October 1991 1997 →

Candidate Dzhokhar Dudayev Party VDP Percentage 90.1%

The presidential elections in self-proclaimed Chechen Republic of Ichkeria were held on 27 October 1991. Dzhokhar Dudayev was proclaimed the winner. Elections were scheduled by the "All-National Congress of the Chechen People", which seized power in eastern portions of falling apart Republic of Checheno-Ingushetia. According to official statements, 72% of the adult population of Chechnya came to the precincts, and 90.1% of them voted for Dudayev.^[12] Russian-speaking population of Chechnya did not take part in the voting. The Provisional Supreme Council and the Council of Ministers of Checheno-Ingushetia declared elections rigged and refused to recognize their results.^[13]

On November 2, the Congress of People's Deputies of Russia refused to recognize the election results.^[14] An attempt was made to introduce a state of emergency in Checheno-Ingushetia, but this attempt was unsuccessful. The following year, Russian troops were withdrawn from the republic^[13] and Dudayev's secessionist government obtained full power over Chechnya until the First Chechen war broke out in 1994.

Mari El

1991 Mari El presidential election

8 December 1991 15 December 1991 (runoff) 1996 →

Candidate Vladislav Zotin Anatoly Popov Running mate Viktor Galavteyev Yury Minakov Percentage 58.84% 15.01%

The first round was held on 8 December 1991. No candidate won a majority. Chairman of the Supreme Soviet Vladislav Zotin became the first President of Mari El Republic after winning in the runoff on 15 December. His opponents were historian Aleksandr Kazimov and director of Yoshkar-Ola shoe factory Anatoly Popov, affiliated with Mari Ushem movement.^[15]

President	Vice president[15]	First tour[16]	Second tour
Vladislav Zotin	Viktor Galavteyev [ru]	48.09%	58.84%
Anatoly Popov [ru]	Yury Minakov [ru]	11.19%	15.01%
Aleksandr Kazimov	no data

Chuvashia

Presidential elections [ru] in Chuvashia were held on 8 December 1991. Former communist nomenklatura was represented by Leonid Prokopyev, former chairman of the Chuvash SSR council of ministers (1975–89). He won a plurality in the first round, surpassing activist of "Chuvash National Revival" movement, member of the Supreme Soviet Atner Khuzangai, Chairman of the Supreme Soviet Eduard Kubarev and leader of agricultural workers' union Pyotr Ivantayev. To win in the runoff, which held on 22 December 1991, a candidate needed to gather more than 50% of the vote.^[11][17][18] As neither Prokopyev, nor Khuzangai won, the presidency remained vacant until December 1993, when former Justice Minister of Russia Nikolay Fyodorov won the recall election.^[19]

Candidate	Party	First tour	Second tour
Leonid Prokopyev [ru]		28.3%	43.1%
Atner Khuzangai	Chuvash National Revival	20.2%	46.4%
Eduard Kubarev [ru]	Democratic Alternative	13.74%
Pyotr Ivantayev	Peasant Union	13.2%
Against all		19.6%	no data
Invalid ballots		5.0%
Turnout[10]		58.6%	56.7%

Mordovia

In 1990, a democratic movement developed in Mordovia, which consisted of the predominantly ethnic Russian urban middle class. The democrats went on a struggle with the CPSU's nomenklatura, mostly of Erzyan ethnicity.

On 25 October 1991 the post of President of Mordovia was introduced by the decree of the Supreme Soviet of the republic. Members of the current government acted as competitors to each other during the campaign, while Vasily Guslyannikov, the leader of the local branch of Democratic Russia, was presented as the only democrat opposing the continuation of nomenklatura's reign.^[20] Guslyannikov won the presidential election, which held on December 14 and 22, 1991.

Candidate	Description	First tour	Second tour[21]
Vasily Guslyannikov	Senior researcher, Research Association of Power Electronics[5]	16.56%	56.25%
Nikolay Biryukov [ru]	Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of Mordovia	18.88%	36.25%
Nikolay Medvedev[22]	People's Deputy of Russia	13.1%

Other candidates were: Deputy Chairmen of the council of ministers Pavel Gruznov and Mikhail Kovshov, other regional officials Nikolay Merkushkin and Sergey Sorokin, and rector of the Mordovian State University Nikolay Makarkin.^[20]

Sakha

1991 Sakha presidential election

20 December 1991 1996 →

Candidate Mikhail Nikolayev Running mate Vyacheslav Shtyrov Percentage 76.70%

Presidential elections in Sakha (Yakutia) were held on 20 December 1991.^[21] Chairman of the Supreme Soviet Mikhail Nikolayev won 3/4 of the vote, running in pair with construction and investment minister Vyacheslav Shtyrov. Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers Ivan Cherov was Nikolayev's only opponent.

President	Vice President	Results
Mikhail Nikolayev	Vyacheslav Shtyrov	76.70%
Ivan Cherov	no data	7.30%

Adygea

1991–92 Adyghe presidential election

22 December 1991 5 January 1992 (runoff) 1997 →

Candidate Aslan Dzharimov Pshimaf Khakuz Percentage 69.4% 23.4%

The first round was held on 22 December 1991. None of the six candidates could reach 50% of the vote. Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of Adygea^[5] Aslan Dzharimov won the presidency defeating associate professor Pshimaf Khakuz of Krasnodar Polytechnic Institute^[23] in a runoff which held on 5 January 1992. Other candidates were people's deputy of Russia Aslanbiy Khutyz, deputy chairman of Maykop City Council Boris Merzakulov and director of Adygea Pedagogical College Kazbek Achmiz.^[24]

Candidate	First tour[5]	Second tour[25]
Aslan Dzharimov	39.8%	69.4%
Pshimaf Khakuz	17.3%	23.4%
Aslanbiy Khutyz	9.31%
Boris Merzakulov	8.28%
Kazbek Achmiz	4.39%

Kabardino-Balkaria

The first round was held on 22 December 1991. None of the four candidates could reach 50% of the vote. The second round was scheduled on 5 January 1992. Deputy chairman of the Council of Ministers of Kabardino-Balkaria^[5] Valery Kokov ran uncontested after trucking company director Felix Kharayev^[19] withdrew his candidacy. Chairman of the Supreme Soviet Khachim Karmokov placed third and did not qualify for the runoff.

The Balkars massively boycotted the elections in pursuance of the decision of the "Congress of the Balkar People". This meeting in November 1991 proclaimed the creation of the "Republic of Balkaria" and formed the "National Council of the Balkar People". Sufiyan Beppayev, deputy commander of the Transcaucasian Military District, was elected its chairman.

The council decided to hold a "referendum" on December 29 among the Balkars on the creation of a new autonomous republic. Voting was organized not only in majority-Balkar settlements, but also in Nalchik. The positive expression of the will of the majority of Balkars and their subsequent boycott of the presidential elections (polling stations were not even opened in Balkar villages) allowed the national activists to deny Valery Kokov's right to be called the president of Kabardino-Balkaria.^[26]

Candidate	First round[19]	Second round[5][25]
Valery Kokov	39.30%	88.86%
Felix Kharayev	19.75%
Khachim Karmokov	14.52%

Tuva

1992 Tuvan presidential election

15 March 1992 1997 →

Candidate Sherig-ool Oorzhak Running mate Aleksey Melnikov[27][28] Percentage 83.2%

Presidential elections in Tuva were held on 15 March 1992 despite the moratorium established by the Congress of People's Deputies of Russia. Tuva was proclaimed a sovereign state, the supremacy of Russian laws was denied until 2000 revision of the Constitution of Tuva.^[29]

Chairman of the Council of Ministers Sherig-ool Oorzhak secured his election after reaching an informal agreement with People's Front of Tuva chairman Kaadyr-ool Bicheldey. Oorzhak won with 83.2% of the vote cast.^[25] Member of the "People's Party of Sovereign Tuva" Bair Sanchi was his only opponent present on ballot.^[30] He collected 9.6% of the vote.^[25]

See also

• Parade of sovereignties

References

1. Ivanov 2019, p. 143.
2. Ivanov 2019, p. 13.
3. "История выборов и назначений руководителей субъектов Российской Федерации. Досье". TASS (in Russian). 8 September 2017. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
4. "Попов, Лужков, Собянин: как выбирали и назначали мэров Москвы". RIA Novosti (in Russian). 4 June 2013.
5. "Gubernatorial Elections — 1991". politika.su (in Russian).
6. "Красуйся, град Петров. Петербург – место памяти о Петре I / Три имени Северной столицы". spbarchives.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 17 January 2023.
7. "Как выбирали в 1991-м". Kommersant (in Russian). 11 June 2016.
8. "История выборов и назначений главы Республики Татарстан" [History of elections and appointments of the head of the Republic of Tatarstan]. TASS (in Russian). 11 September 2020.
9. Иванченко, А.В.; Любарев, А.Е. (2006). Российские выборы от перестройки до суверенной демократии [Russian elections from perestroika to sovereign democracy] (in Russian). Moscow: Aspekt-Press. ISBN 5-7567-0446-9.
10. Kynev 2020, p. 74.
11. Ivanov 2019, p. 137.
12. "Первая война. Спецпроект". Kommersant (in Russian). 13 December 2014.
13. Музаев, Тимур. "Чеченская Республика Ичкерия: Общий обзор". Institute for Humanities and Political Studies (in Russian). Retrieved 8 February 2023.
14. "Постановление № 1847-I от 2 ноября 1991 года "О признании незаконными выборов, проведенных 27 октября 1991 года в Чечено-Ингушской Республике"" [Resolution No. 1847-I "On the recognition of illegal elections held on 27 October 199` in the Chechen-Ingush Republic"]. docs.cntd.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 8 February 2023.
15. ""Нас пугает слово президент". В Марий Эл 30 лет назад жители впервые выбрали руководителя". Idel.Realii (in Russian). 14 December 2021. Archived from the original on 14 December 2021.
16. Ivanov 2019, p. 136.
17. "История выборов и назначений главы Чувашской Республики" [History of elections and appointments of the head of the Chuvash Republic]. TASS (in Russian). 11 September 2020. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
18. "Политическая история Чувашии" [Political history of Chuvashia]. Kommersant (in Russian). 25 August 2015. Retrieved 2020-10-24.
19. "Книга рекордов выборов" [Election book of records]. Kommersant (in Russian). 31 January 2005.
20. Лезина, Елена (2014). "Президентская республика в Мордовии (конец 1991-первая половина 1993 г.)" [Presidential republic in Mordovia (end of 1991 – first half of 1993)]. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
21. Ivanov 2019, p. 138.
22. Kynev 2020, p. 76.
23. Ivanov 2019, p. 139.
24. Саакян, Маргарита (2017). "Институт президентской власти в субъектах Российской Федерации конца XX века (на примере Республики Адыгея)" (in Russian). Retrieved 8 February 2023.
25. "Gubernatorial Elections — 1992". politika.su (in Russian).
26. Ivanov 2019, p. 144.
27. Moskalenko 1992, p. 7.
28. "Председатель Правительства РТ 7 июня подписал Указы о назначении своих заместителей". tuvaonline.ru (in Russian). 10 June 2002.
29. "16 лет назад тувинский парламент принял Декларацию о государственном суверенитете" [16 years ago the Tuvan parliament adopted the Declaration on State Sovereignty]. tuvaonline.ru (in Russian). 11 December 2006. Archived from the original on 8 September 2007.
30. Moskalenko 1992, p. 8.

Sources

• Ivanov, Vitaly (2019). Глава субъекта Российской Федерации. История губернаторов [Head of the subject of the Russian Federation. History of governors] (in Russian). ISBN 978-5-907250-14-7.
• Kynev, Alexander (2020). Губернаторы в России: между выборами и назначениями [Governors in Russia: Between Elections and Appointments] (in Russian). ISBN 978-5-903135-68-4.
• Moskalenko, Nelly (1992). "Этнополитическая ситуация в Республике Тува /1992 год/" [Ethnopolitical situation in the Republic of Tuva /1992/] (PDF). Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology RAS (in Russian).