To mark what would have been Boris Yeltsin's 85th birthday on February 1, we are re-upping these pictures from the opening of the Yeltsin Center in Yekaterinburg late last year. A first of its kind in Russia, it showcases the legacy of the former president with a library, museum, and exhibition space. There are more than 30,000 exhibits and 13,000 photos. The center has been financed with $76 million of public money plus around 50 private sponsors, including President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. (RFE/RL's Russian Service)
Yeltsin Center Presents Former Russian President's Legacy
Visitors are greeted by Russian President Boris Yeltsin and his wife, Naina, on a big screen.
The view changes to show Yeltsin with his U.S. counterpart, George H.W. Bush. ...
...and then Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov -- initially an ally, later a political rival.
A model of a Moscow trolley bus. Yetsin used them to get around town when he was secretary of the Moscow City Committee of the Communist Party.
Later in his career he could enjoy the Presidential ZiL limousine.
But there's less luxury on show at a mock-up of an early '90s Russian store.
Televisions, VHS players, and clunky hi-fi systems provide more of the flavor of everyday life in the Yeltsin years.
Visitors pose for snaps by a bronze statue of Yeltsin.
There's also a satirical take on the late Russian leader.
Yeltsin's office...
...and his "nuclear suitcase."
The Barricades exhibition hall recalls the 1991 Moscow putsch. Yeltsin led the defense of the White House, the Russian parliament building, pictured in the background.
The names of the Yeltsin Center sponsors, including President Vladimir Putin and oligarch Roman Abramovich.
General view of the Yeltsin Center complex