Board Thread:Fun and Games/@comment-27654122-20170711023615/@comment-30901227-20170715200353

Dear Russians!

There is very little time left before the magic date in our history. The year 2000 is coming. New century, new millennium. We all tried on this date for ourselves. Think about it, first as a child, then growing up, how much we will be in 2000, and how much our mother, and how much for our children. It seemed once - so far this extraordinary New Year. This day has come.

Dear friends! My dear ones!

Today I am addressing you for the last time with a New Year's greeting. But that's not all. Today, for the last time, I am addressing you as the president of Russia.

I made a decision. Long and painfully over him pondering. Today, on the last day of the passing century, I resign. I have heard many times: "Yeltsin will hold on to power in any way, he will not give it to anyone." It's a lie. It's different. I always said that I would not step back from the Constitution. That the constitutional elections should be held in the Duma elections. So it happened.

And I also wanted the presidential elections to be held in time in June 2000. This was very important for Russia. We are creating the most important precedent for a civilized voluntary transfer of power from one Russian president to another, newly elected.

And yet I made another decision. I'm leaving. I leave before the due date. I realized that I needed to do this. Russia must enter the new millennium with new politicians, new faces, new, smart, strong, energetic people.

And we, those who have been in power for many years, must leave. Having looked, with what hope and faith people voted in elections to the Duma for a new generation of politicians, I understood: the main thing of my life I did. Russia will never return to the past. Russia will always continue to move forward. And I should not interfere with this natural course of history. Six months still hold on to power, when the country has a strong man, worthy of being president and with whom today almost every Russian connects his hopes for the future? Why should I interfere? Why wait another six months? No, it's not for me. Not in my nature!

Today, on this unusually important day for me, I want to say a little more personal words than I usually say. I want to ask you for forgiveness for the fact that many of our dreams have not come true. And what seemed simple to us was painfully hard. I apologize for not having lived up to some hopes of those people who believed that we could jump from a gray, stagnant, totalitarian past in a single jerk in one fell swoop to a bright, rich, civilized future.

I myself believed in it. It seemed like a single jerk, and all will be overcome. One jerk did not work. In something, I was too naive. Somewhere the problems turned out to be too complicated. We got ahead through mistakes, through failures. Many people experienced a shock during this difficult time.

But I want you to know. I never said this, today it is important for me to tell you this. The pain of each of you was a pain in me, in my heart. Sleepless nights, painful experiences: what needs to be done to make people at least a little, at least a little bit easier and better? I had no more important task.

I'm leaving. I did everything I could. And not for health, but for the totality of all problems. I am replaced by a new generation of generation of those who can do more and better. In accordance with the constitution, when I retired, I signed a decree on assigning the duties of the Russian president to Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. Within three months, in accordance with the constitution, he will be the head of state.

And in three months, also in accordance with the Constitution of Russia, presidential elections will be held. I was always confident in the amazing wisdom of Russians. Therefore, I have no doubt what choice you will make at the end of March 2000. Saying goodbye, I want to say to each of you: be happy. You deserve happiness. You deserve happiness and peace.

Happy New Year! With a new century, my dear!(English, #1)