Russia has seen major uprisings twice before Bhagnar

 Russia has seen major uprisings twice before Bhagnar

Mikhail S. Gorbachev(Getty)

The mercenary supply organization, Bhagnar Group, staged a rebellion yesterday. This rebellion has reminded people of the two major rebellions that have occurred in the history of Russia. After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the Kremlin witnessed two major rebellions. However, both of those rebellions were unsuccessful.

The Failed Coup of 1991

August 1991. Four months prior to the collapse of the Soviet Union. The then-president Mikhail Gorbachev planned to separate 15 republics from the Union. However, this move was met with strong opposition from hardline communists, leading to a coup attempt. Nevertheless, Gorbachev survived that journey.

Yevgeny Prigozhin

Gorbachev was on vacation at his village in Crimea. He was there on August 19 when he was placed under house arrest. Behind this act was the Soviet intelligence agency, the KGB. After Gorbachev's arrest, soldiers arrived on Moscow's streets. Tanks rolled in. For three days, the protests continued. Thousands of people took to the streets in protest. The focal point of the demonstrators was the White House, Moscow's parliament building. Ultimately, the attempt to suppress the uprising from there failed.

During that time, Boris Yeltsin played a major role. Gorbachev was the President of the Soviet Union, while Yeltsin was the President of the Russian Parliament. He made a powerful speech denouncing the uprising.

After Yeltsin's speech, the situation calmed down within two days. The rebels returned to their barracks, and Gorbachev returned to Moscow the next day. However, amidst this uprising, one thing became clear: Gorbachev's influence had diminished, while Yeltsin emerged as a powerful figure due to his suppression of the rebellion. Within a few months, the Soviet Union would collapse.

The Bloodshed of 1993

Yeltsin, who had previously led a rebellion against Gorbachev, found himself facing a rebellion of his own. These events took place between September 21 and October 4, 1993. The hardline communist and Vice President Alexander Rutskoy led this uprising. Tanks were used in the assault on the parliament building under Yeltsin's orders during this time. The parliament building was left bloodstained.

Yeltsin

Primarily, it was Yeltsin's signature on the Supreme Soviet's dissolution order, the highest legislative body of the Soviet Union, that caused the turmoil. He had called for a meeting of the legislature for this purpose. However, discussions in the parliament regarding the dissolution of the Supreme Soviet led to a political impasse, which became the focal point of the rebellion.

At that time, the parliament was under the control of the Communists. They had voted to impeach Yeltsin. Vice President Alexander Rutskoy, who joined the opposition camp, sought to be elected as the leader against Yeltsin. It was during this period that the rebels took control of Moscow's City Hall. They also had partial control over the National Television Broadcasting Building.