Who was the first democratically elected

[Melaine]

president of Russia?

(This is from one of Pioneer Woman's quizzes)

The quiz is over but the answers have been posted and I am questioning her answer on this one.

[DietCokeLover]

Yeltsin.

[Melaine]

That's what I put. But she says Mikhail Gorbachev.....what's up with that.

[a2mom]

I would guess she's using Gorby as the first b/c he was the first democratically elected president of the USSR (1989). Yeltsin was the first democratically elected president of the Russian republic (after the fall of the USSR in 1991). If she's saying "Russia", she's technically wrong since G was never president of Russia alone; only the USSR, which included all the Soviet Republics.

[Melaine]

I would guess she's using Gorby as the first b/c he was the first democratically elected president of the USSR (1989). Yeltsin was the first democratically elected president of the Russian republic (after the fall of the USSR in 1991). If she's saying "Russia", she's technically wrong since G was never president of Russia alone; only the USSR, which included all the Soviet Republics.

Ok, thanks. That makes sense and I'm sure that's what she was thinking. But she did say Russia so I hope she reconsiders that answer so that I have a chance to win the Ipad!!!

[TwinFoxes]

Ok, thanks. That makes sense and I'm sure that's what she was thinking. But she did say Russia so I hope she reconsiders that answer so that I have a chance to win the Ipad!!!

I think you have a very valid argument!

[AnnieW625]

Per this link from Wikipedia there was no president of Russia until it was created in 1991 and Boris Yeltsin was the first the President (scroll all of the way to the bottom). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boris_Yeltsin

If she had phrased her question who was the first President of the Soviet Union, then yes Mikhail Gorbechav would have been the right answer, he held that position from March, 1990 to December, 1991. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikhail_Gorbachev