This article contains the list of candidates associated with the

1996 Russian presidential election Presidential elections were held in Russia on 16 June 1996, with a second round being held on 3 July. It resulted in a victory for the incumbent President of Russia Boris Yeltsin, who ran as an independent politician. Yeltsin defeated Communist ...

Registered candidates

Withdrawn candidates

Rejected candidates

78 voter initiative groups were authorized by the Central Election Commission to collect signatures. However, only seventeen candidates managed to submit petitions with one million signatures by the deadline on April 16. Six of these were rejected by the Central Election Commission. *

Sergei Mavrodi Sergei Panteleevich Mavrodi (russian: Серге́й Пантеле́евич Мавро́ди; 11 August 1955 – 26 March 2018) was a Russian financial fraudster, financial criminal and previously a deputy of the State Duma. He was the founder ...

, Head of MMM investment fund * Vladimir Podoprigora *

Galina Starovoytova Galina Vasilyevna Starovoitova (russian: Гали́на Васи́льевна Старово́йтова; 17 May 1946, in Chelyabinsk – 20 November 1998, in Saint Petersburg) was a Soviet dissident, Russian politician and ethnographer known ...

, leader of

Democratic Russia Democratic Russia (Russian: Демократическая Россия, abbreviation: ДемРоссия ''DemRossiya'') was the generic name for several political entities that played a transformative role in Russia's transition from Communi ...

, had turned in her petition the day before the deadline. Her candidacy was rejected due to irregularities with signatures.The 1996 Russian presidential election / Jerry F. Hough, Evelyn Davidheiser, Susan Goodrich Lehmann. Brookings occasional papers. Unsuccessfully appealed to Supreme Court. *

Artyom Tarasov Artem or Artyom Mikhaylovich Tarasov (russian: Артём Миха́йлович Тара́сов; 4 July 1950, Moscow — 22 July 2017, Moscow) was a Russian businessman and political activist of Armenian descent. Biography Tarasov was a desc ...

, millionaire businessman, candidacy rejected due to irregularities with signatures. Unsuccessfully appealed to Supreme Court. * Lev Ubozhko, leader of the Conservative Party. Candidacy was rejected due to irregularities with signatures. Unsuccessfully appealed to Supreme court. * Viacheslav Ushakov, President of the Moscow Investment Foundation Joint Stock Company. Candidacy was rejected due to irregularities with signatures. Unsuccessfully appealed to Supreme Court.

Declared candidates who withdrew without registering

;Other declared candidates *

Stanislav Govorukhin Stanislav Sergeyevich Govorukhin (russian: Станислав Сергеевич Говорухин; 29 March 1936 – 14 June 2018) was a Soviet and Russian film director, actor, screenwriter, producer and politician. He was named People's Artis ...

film director A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, pr ...

* Aleksandr Ivanov-Sukharevsky, founder and leader of

People's National Party The People's National Party (PNP) is a social-democratic political party in Jamaica, founded in 1938 by independence campaigner Osmond Theodore Fairclough. It holds 14 of the 63 seats in the House of Representatives, as 96 of the 227 local go ...

*Nikolai Lysenko, founder and leader of NPRP * Vladimir Shumeyko, former

Chairman of the Federation Council The Chairman of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation (russian: Председатель Совета Федерации Федерального собрания Российской Федерации), also c ...

Possible candidates who did not run

The following individuals were included in some polls, were referred to in the media as possible candidates or had publicly expressed interest long before the elections but never announced that they would run. *

Ramazan Abdulatipov Ramazan Gadzhimuradovich Abdulatipov ( av, Рамазан ГІабдулатІипов; russian: Рамазан Гаджимурадович Абдулатипов; born 4 August 1946) is a Russian politician and professor of Avar heritage. He s ...

, former

Deputy Chairman The chairperson, also chairman, chairwoman or chair, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the grou ...

of the

Federation Council The Federation Council (russian: Сове́т Федера́ции – ''Soviet Federatsii'', common abbreviation: Совфед – ''Sovfed''), or Senate (officially, starting from July 1, 2020) ( ru , Сенат , translit = Senat), is th ...

and Chairman of the

Soviet of Nationalities The Soviet of Nationalities (russian: Совет Национальностей, ''Sovyet Natsionalnostey'') was the upper chamber of the Supreme Soviet of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, elected on the basis of universal, equal and ...

; vice presidential candidate in 1991 *

Viktor Anpilov Viktor Ivanovich Anpilov (russian: Ви́ктор Ива́нович Анпи́лов; 2 October 1945, in Belaya Glina, Krasnodar Krai – 15 January 2018, in Moscow) was a Russian hardline Communist politician and trade unionist. Political ac ...

, politician and trade unionist *

Sergey Baburin Sergey Nikolayevich Baburin (russian: Серге́й Николаевич Бабурин, born 31 January 1959) is a Russian nationalist politician, member of the State Duma of the first, second and fourth convocations where he served in the ...

, Deputy of the State Duma *

Vadim Bakatin Vadim Viktorovich Bakatin (russian: link=no, Вадим Викторович Бакатин; 6 November 1937 – 31 July 2022) was a Russian politician who served as the last chairman of the KGB in 1991. He was the last surviving former chairm ...

, former Chairman of the KGB and Minister of Interior of the Soviet Union *

Vladimir Bukovsky Vladimir Konstantinovich Bukovsky (russian: link=no, Влади́мир Константи́нович Буко́вский; 30 December 1942 – 27 October 2019) was a Russian-born British human rights activist and writer. From the late 195 ...

, activist ( was urged to run) *

Viktor Chernomyrdin Viktor Stepanovich Chernomyrdin (russian: Ви́ктор Степа́нович Черномы́рдин, ; 9 April 19383 November 2010) was a Soviet and Russian politician and businessman. He was the Minister of Gas Industry of the Soviet Unio ...

Yegor Gaidar Yegor Timurovich Gaidar (russian: link=no, Его́р Тиму́рович Гайда́р; ; 19 March 1956 – 16 December 2009) was a Soviet and Russian economist, politician, and author, and was the Acting Prime Minister of Russia from 15 Ju ...

, former Acting Prime Minister of Russia *

Pavel Grachev Pavel Sergeyevich Grachev (russian: Па́вел Серге́евич Грачё́в; 1 January 1948 – 23 September 2012), sometimes transliterated as Grachov or Grachyov, was a Russian Army General and the Defence Minister of the Russian Fed ...

Minister of Defence A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in som ...

Boris Fyodorov Boris Grigoryevich Fyodorov (russian: Борис Григорьевич Фёдоров) (13 February 1958 in Moscow – 20 November 2008 in London) was a Russian economist, politician, and reformer. Early life He was awarded a doctor of econ ...

* Ruslan Khasbulatov *

Yury Kokov Yury Alexandrovich Kokov ( kbd, КӀуэкӀуэ Александр и къуэ Юрэ, K'uək'uə Aleksandr yi quə Yurə ; russian: Юрий Александрович Коков; born August 13, 1955, Nalchik) is a Russian politician who w ...

Sergei Kovalev Sergei Adamovich Kovalyov (also spelled Sergey Kovalev; russian: link=no, Сергей Адамович Ковалёв; 2 March 1930 – 9 August 2021) was a Russian human rights activist and politician. During the Soviet period he was a diss ...

Andrei Kozyrev Andrei Vladimirovich Kozyrev (russian: Андре́й Влади́мирович Ко́зырев; born 27 March 1951) is a Russian politician who served as the former and the first Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation under Pres ...

, former

Minister of Foreign Affairs A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less commonly minister for foreign affairs) is generally a cabinet minister in charge of a state's foreign policy and relations. The formal title of the top official varies between co ...

* Filippovna Lakhova *

Yury Luzhkov Yury Mikhailovich Luzhkov ( rus, Ю́рий Миха́йлович Лужко́в, p=ˈjʉrʲɪj mʲɪˈxajləvʲɪtɕ lʊˈʂkof; 21 September 1936 – 10 December 2019) was a Russian politician who served as mayor of Moscow from 1992 to 2010 ...

Mayor of Moscow The Mayor of Moscow (russian: Мэр Москвы, Mer Moskvy) is the head and the highest-ranking official of Moscow, who leads the Government of Moscow, the main executive body of the city. Moscow is both a city and separate federal sub ...

* Albert Makashov, Deputy of the State Duma *

Ella Pamfilova Ella Aleksandrovna Pamfilova (; born 12 September 1953) is a Russian politician, former deputy of the State Duma, candidate for president in 2000 and former chairman (2004 - 2010) of the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights. On ...

Gavriil Kharitonovich Popov Gavriil Kharitonovich Popov (russian: Гаврии́л Харито́нович Попо́в; born 31 October 1936) is a Russian politician and economist. He served as the mayor of Moscow from 1991 until he resigned in 1992. Biograph ...

, former Mayor of Moscow *

Nikolai Ryzhkov Nikolai Ivanovich Ryzhkov ( uk, Микола Іванович Рижков; russian: Николай Иванович Рыжков; born 28 September 1929) is a Soviet, and later Russian, politician. He served as the last Chairman of the Counc ...

, Deputy of the State Duma, former

Chairman The chairperson, also chairman, chairwoman or chair, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the group ...

of the

Council of Ministers A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/ shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or ...

, Head of the Economic Department of the

Central Committee Central committee is the common designation of a standing administrative body of communist parties, analogous to a board of directors, of both ruling and nonruling parties of former and existing socialist states. In such party organizations, the ...

; Full member of the 26th and 27th

Politburo A politburo () or political bureau is the executive committee for communist parties. It is present in most former and existing communist states. Names The term "politburo" in English comes from the Russian ''Politbyuro'' (), itself a contracti ...

s, Member of the 25th

Secretariat Secretariat may refer to: * Secretariat (administrative office) * Secretariat (horse) Secretariat (March 30, 1970 – October 4, 1989), also known as Big Red, was a champion American thoroughbred racehorse who is the ninth winner of the Ame ...

; Full member of the 26th, 27th, 28th of the

; presidential candidate in 1991 *

Eduard Rossel Eduard Ergartovich Rossel (russian: Эдуард Эргартович Россель; born 8 October 1937) is a Russian politician, who was the governor (1995–2009) of Sverdlovsk Oblast, an oblast in Russia. He returned into office in 1995. ...

, member of the Federation Council *

Ivan Rybkin Ivan Petrovich Rybkin (; born 20 October 1946) is a Russian politician. He was Chairman of Russia's State Duma in 1994–96 and Secretary of the Security Council in 1996–98. He ran for the Russian presidency in 2004, before dropping out after a ...

*Vladimir Shcherbakov, *

Sergey Shakhray Sergey Mikhaylovich Shakhray (russian: Серге́й Михайлович Шахрай) (born April 30, 1956, in Simferopol, Crimea, Soviet Union) is a Russian politician. He is a co-author of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. He g ...

, co-author of the

Constitution of the Russian Federation The Constitution of the Russian Federation () was adopted by national referendum on 12 December 1993. Russia's constitution came into force on 25 December 1993, at the moment of its official publication, and abolished the Soviet system of gov ...

and former

Deputy Prime Minister A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to that of a vice president, ...

Alexander Shokhin Alexander Nikolayevich Shokhin (russian: Алекса́ндр Никола́евич Шо́хин; born December 25, 1951) is a Russian state, political and public figure and a Member of the Bureau of the Supreme Council of the party United Russi ...

, former Minister of Labour, Minister of the Economy, Deputy Chairman of the Government *

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn Aleksandr Isayevich Solzhenitsyn. (11 December 1918 – 3 August 2008) was a Russian novelist. One of the most famous Soviet dissidents, Solzhenitsyn was an outspoken critic of communism and helped to raise global awareness of political repr ...

, author *

Yury Skokov Yury Vladimirovich Skokov (Russian: Юрий Владимирович Скоков; 20 June 1938 – 5 February 2013) was a Russian politician who served as Secretary of the Security Council of Russia from 1992 to 1993. Early life and education ...

, leader of

Congress of Russian Communities The Congress of Russian Communities (CRC, russian: Конгресс русских общин, КРО, Kongress russkikh obschin, KRO) is a political organization in Russia. It was created in the early 1990s initially to promote the rights of ...

; former

First Deputy Prime Minister of Russia A First Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation, commonly referred to as the First Deputy Prime Minister, is a member of the Russian Government. The First Deputy is to be proposed by the Prime Minister, and approved by the Pre ...

and Secretary of the Security Council *

Anatoly Sobchak Anatoly Aleksandrovich Sobchak ( rus, Анатолий Александрович Собчак, p=ɐnɐˈtolʲɪj ɐlʲɪˈksandrəvʲɪtɕ sɐpˈtɕak; 10 August 1937 – 19 February 2000) was a Soviet and Russian politician, a co-author of the ...

Mayor of Saint Petersburg The Governor of Saint Petersburg (Губернатор Санкт-Петербурга) is the head of the executive branch of Saint Petersburg City Administration. The governor's office administers all city services, public property, police an ...

Oleg Soskovets Oleg Nikolayevich Soskovets (russian: Оле́г Никола́евич Соскове́ц; born May 11, 1949) is a Soviet, Kazakh and Russian politician. Soskovets was amongst those accompanying Boris Yeltsin during the 1994 diplomatic incident ...

* Nikolay Travkin *

Arkady Volsky Arkady Volsky (15 May 1932 – 9 September 2006) was a Soviet politician and businessman. He served as a senior aide to three Soviet General Secretaries, including Mikhail Gorbachev, and was one of three Deputy Prime Ministers in the last go ...

Leonid Yakubovich Leonid Arkadyevich Yakubovich PAR

1996 File:1996 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: A bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, set off by a radical anti-abortionist; The center fuel tank explodes on TWA Flight 800, causing the plane to crash and killing everyone o ...

1996 Russian presidential election