Boris Yeltsin (born 1st February 1931) is the leader of the Russian Transformation League (LPR), a political party in Sverdlovsk. He can come into power by winning the referendum that Marshal Pavel Batov introduces after Sverdlovsk unifies Western Siberia.
In-game
Boris Yeltsin sets Russia on a path towards political and economic liberalization. Yeltsin can give the regional soviets far more autonomy to set Russia on the path towards federalization, relinquish state control of the press, grant universal suffrage to all Russians, allow multiple parties to run in elections, and transition the state away from a junta into a democratic republic. He can break up Sverdlovsk's public enterprises into smaller, private ones to boost competition in the market, invest in industries from the defense industry to the oil industry and allowing minimal rights for workers.
As was the case in real life, references to his alcoholism are made, with his unification super event having the sound of someone pouring a drink (presumably Yeltsin himself), over The Patriotic Song (Russia's national anthem from 1991 to 2000). Amusingly, one event has him sneak away from trade meetings with the American delegation and sneak a bottle of vodka into the bathroom, where a young aide from the US drinks with him - at the end of the event, it's revealed that the aid in question is a young Bill Clinton (who, in real life, was friends with Yeltsin).
Surprisingly, Yeltsin is able to peacefully unify with almost any other Russian warlord at the regional and super-regional stages, the exception being the most authoritarian choices, such as Zigfrid Shultz.
Quote upon unification
"A man must live like a great brilliant flame and burn as brightly as he can. In the end he burns out. But this is far better than a mean little flame."
—Boris Yeltsin