page_title: Prime Minister of Russia
section_title: Post-Soviet period
hierarchical_section_title: Prime Minister of Russia / Historical background / Post-Soviet period
caption_attribution_description: English: Viktor Chernomyrdin, Russia's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Ukraine, attends global forum within framework of G8 summit for state-business partnership in fighting terrorism.Русский: Чрезвычайный и Полномочный посол России в Украине Виктор Черномырдин на глобальном форуме по партнерству государств и бизнеса в противодействии терроризму в рамках саммита "Группы восьми" (G8).
context_page_description: The Prime Minister of Russia, is the head of the Russian government, the chief executive of the Russian Cabinet and the second most powerful figure of the Russian Federation. The official residence of the prime minister is Gorki-9 in Odintsovsky District, Moscow Oblast, but his/her working residence is in Moscow. Under Article 24 of the Federal Constitutional Law 'On the Government of the Russian Federation', the prime minister "heads the Government of the Russian Federation". The Russian Prime Minister is considered the second highest position in the government, after the President.
  Due to the central role of the President of Russia in the political system, the activities of the executive branch are significantly influenced by the head of state. The use of the term "Prime Minister" is strictly informal and is never used by the Russian Constitution or laws.
context_section_description: Currently, the formal title of the Prime Minister is "Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation". 
  In modern Russia, the Prime Minister is appointed by the President, with the consent of the State Duma. The Prime Minister is responsible to the President and regularly reports to him, however to the State Duma he reports only once a year.
  After the election of Boris Yeltsin, President of Russia, the head of the government was Yeltsin personally. He headed the Russian SFSR Government (16 May 1992, the Government of the Russian Federation) for about six months. In fact, Yeltsin was the first Head of Government of Russia after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, however he was not the Prime Minister. After Yeltsin, Yegor Gaidar became Acting Prime Minister, but the Russian Supreme Soviet refused to approve him as Prime Minister. On 14 December 1992, the Prime Minister appointed was Viktor Chernomyrdin.
  The Russian political system is similar to the modern French system. For the appointment of the Prime Minister the President needs a majority in the state Duma. If the party President does not have the majority and fails to form a coalition, the President may need to appoint a loyalist to the position of Prime Minister. For example this occurred in 1998 when the state Duma (which had most of the opposition to the President of the party) twice refused to appoint Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin and Boris Yeltsin appointed Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov, who supported the left opposition.
  In the mid-90s in Russia there was a term "Technical Prime Minister". This term refers to the Prime Minister, who is not an independent political figure, is only the nominal head of government, and in fact the activities of the government are headed by the President.
caption: Viktor Chernomyrdin, the 29th Prime Minister of Russia (1st Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation)
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