President of Russia

President of the Russian Federation Президент Российской Федерации
Presidential Standard
Incumbent Dmitry Medvedev since 7 May 2008
Residence	Moscow Kremlin
Appointer	Direct popular vote
Term length	Six years (2012-present); four years (1991-2012); renewable once consecutively
Inaugural holder	Boris Yeltsin
Formation	10 July 1991
Succession	Prime Minister of Russia
Website	(Russian) президент.рф (English) eng.kremlin.ru

Russia

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Russia

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The President of the Russian Federation (Russian: Президент Российской Федерации Prezident Rossijskoj Federatsii) is the head of state, supreme commander-in-chief and holder of the highest office within the Russian Federation. Despite the fact that the Constitution of Russia does not explicitly determine the President as the head of the executive branch, executive power is de facto split between the President and the Prime Minister, who is the head of government. The current president of Russia is Dmitry Medvedev.

Vladimir Putin, current Prime Minister and former President, was elected as the next President of the Russian Federation in the 2012 Russian presidential election, he will assume office on 7 May 2012.

Before 25 December 1991 the head of state was known as the President of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (Russian: Президент Российской Советской Федеративной Социалистической Республики).

Selection process

Eligibility

According to the Constitution of the Russian Federation, a person willing to run for presidency has to be a citizen of Russia not younger than 35, and has permanently resided in the Russian Federation for at least 10 years.

The Constitution of Russia also restricts the period during which a person can hold the office of the President to two consecutive terms. There is no limit to the total number of terms that a President may serve, just a limit on successive terms.

Election

The election of the President is mainly regulated by the Presidential Election Law (PEL) and the Basic Guarantees of Electoral Rights (BGL). The President is elected in a two-round system every six years, with a two term limitation. If no candidate wins an absolute majority in the first round, a second election round is held between the two leading candidates. The last presidential election was in 2012, and the next is expected in 2018.

Insignia

After the oath of office has been taken by the elected president, these following insignia are handed over to the president. These devices are used to display the rank of his office and are used on special occasions.

Chain of office

Chain of office

The first insignia that is issued is the chain of office with an emblem. The central emblem is a red cross, with arms in equal size, charged with the Russian coat of arms. On the reverse of the cross, the words "Benefit, Honor and Glory" appear in a form of a circle. A golden wreath is used to connect the cross with the rest of the chain. There are seventeen "links" in the emblem, with nine consisting of the Russian coat of arms. The other eight consist of a rosette, also bearing the motto "Benefit, Honor and Glory." At the inauguration of Vladimir Putin, the emblem was placed on a red pillow, positioned on the left side of podium. According to the Presidential website, the emblem is placed inside the Kremlin and is used only on certain occasions.

Standard (flag)

Presidential Standard Afloat

The standard is a square version of the Russian flag, charged in the center with the Russian coat of arms. Golden fringe is added to the standard. Copies of the standard are used inside his office, at the Kremlin, other state agencies, and while the president is travelling in a vehicle inside Russia. A 2:3 ratio version of the flag is used when the President is at sea. This is the most used symbol to denote the presence of the Russian President.

Special copy of the Constitution

Dmitry Medvedev takes the Presidential Oath whilst placing his right hand on the Presidential copy of the Russian Constitution.

The President also has a special copy of the Russian Constitution that is used during the inauguration. This copy has a hard, red cover with gold lettering. An image of the Russian coat of arms appears in silver. The special copy is kept in the Presidential Library.

Legal basis of the insignia

These insignia and the procedure were established by the presidential decree No. 1138 from 5 August 1996. and modified by decree No. 832 from 6 May 2000. In the new decree the special copy of the Constitution was removed as the third symbol of the Russian Presidency; the other two symbols remained intact because they were and are regulated by separate decrees. Nonetheless, the special copy of the Constitution still exists and serves for inauguration purposes only without being officially presented as a symbol of the Russian Presidency.

Residences

The primary working President's residence is the Senate building (also known as 1st building) in the Moscow Kremlin complex. Also the President can use the Grand Kremlin Palace (the ceremonial residence) and so called 14th building (the reserve residence).

The current (since 2000) home President's residence is Novo-Ogaryovo (Russian: Ново-Огарёво). It is planned that it will have remained at the disposal of Vladimir Putin after the term ending, as Gorki-9 (Russian: Горки-9) (also called Barvikha (Russian: Барвиха), but actually near it) had remained at the disposal of Boris Yeltsin after his retirement.

Also, the President has several vacation residences outside of Moscow.

• Rus' (Russian: Русь), Zavidovo, Tver Oblast
• Congress Palace or Constantine Palace complex (Russian: Дворец конгрессов, Константиновский дворец), Strelna, Saint Petersburg, reconstructed for 300th Saint Petersburg anniversary
• Bocharov Ruchey (Russian: Боча́ров Руче́й), Sochi
• Shuyskaya Chupa (Russian: Шу́йская Чупа́) at a distance of 25 km from Petrozavodsk, Karelia
• Uzhin (Russian: Ужи́н) at a distance of 20 km from Valday, Novgorod Oblast
• Volzhskiy Utyos sanatorium (Russian: Во́лжский утёс) on Kuybyshev Reservoir shore
• Tantal tourist centre (Russian: Танта́л, lit. Tantalum) on Volga bank, at a distance of 25 km from Saratov
• Sosny (Russian: Со́сны, lit. pines) on Yenisei bank, near Krasnoyarsk
• Angarskie hutora (Russian: Анга́рские хутора́) at a distance of 47 km from Irkutsk
• Maly istok (Russian: Ма́лый исто́к) inside Ekaterineburg forestry

Political affiliation

None of the Russian presidents to date ever were a member of a political party in office or later. However, former (and now incoming) president Vladimir Putin is the nominal head of the government-created United Russia, the dominant Russian political party.

Transport

The land transport services for the Russian President is provided by the Special Purpose Garage (SPG). The SPG is a unit within the Federal Protective Service.

• Limousines
  • ZiL
  • Mercedes-Benz
• Escort cars
  • Mercedes-Benz (including G-Wagens)
  • Chevrolet
• Honorary escort (motorcycles)
  • Ural
  • BMW

Ilyushin Il-96-300PU used by the President of Russia for long-distance air travel

Air transport services for the President are provided by airline company Rossiya.

Main article: Russian Presidential Airplane

• Airplanes Long distance flight
  • Ilyushin Il-96-300PU (long-range) – President's main aircraft
  • Ilyushin Il-62M (long-range)
  • Dassault Falcon 900 (long-range)
  • Tupolev Tu-154 (medium-range)
  • Yakovlev Yak-40 (short-range)
  • Tupolev Tu-214PU
• Helicopters
  • Mil Mi-8

The President's aircraft use the same colour scheme as standard Rossiya aircraft, except for the use of the Russian coat of arms or the Presidential Standard on the empennage instead of the flag of Russia.

Former presidents

• Boris Yeltsin (1991-1999)
• Vladimir Putin (2000-2008)

See also

• List of presidents of the Russian Federation
• Russian presidential administration
• List of leaders of Russia
• President of the USSR
• Bald–hairy

External links

• Official site of the President of Russia
• ´Vladimir Putin will once again become Russia’s president´ - The ECONOMIST, March 3rd 2012