Yeltsin Push Gives Russia a 2nd Name

Told that their rashness had endangered Russia’s unity, lawmakers caved in to enormous pressure from President Boris N. Yeltsin and agreed Friday to give their homeland not just one but two names: “Russian Federation” and “Russia.”

Less than 24 hours earlier, the Congress of People’s Deputies had been swept by a nearly unanimous spasm of patriotic fervor that led members to choose only “Russia.”

Representatives from slighted ethnic minorities rapidly mounted an angry protest, and Yeltsin used all the levers at his command to forge a compromise.

“The greatness of Russia is based on the friendship of its peoples,” the president’s personal envoy, Sergei M. Shakhrai, told the Congress as he and other Yeltsin loyalists tried to defuse the issue.

Ruslan I. Khasbulatov, chairman of the national legislature and a member of the Chechen people from the northern Caucasus, dipped into his bag of parliamentary tricks to give Yeltsin what he wanted: two official names for the country he leads.

When a morning attempt at a fresh vote failed to yield the necessary two-thirds majority, Khasbulatov engineered a one-hour recess, caucused with parliamentary leaders in the gilded Hall of Facets of the Kremlin, browbeat those who balked and forged a floor-fight strategy that would have done any whip on Capitol Hill proud.

“The word ‘Russia’ alone suits me just fine,” Khasbulatov said. “But leaders of the republics correctly say that that word will be used by extremists who want to overthrow them.”

When the Congress reconvened, Khasbulatov, as prearranged, gave the floor to one of the chamber’s outstanding orators, Dmitri A. Volkogonov, who said he had originally voted for Russia-- Rossiya in the Russian language--but now had second thoughts.

“The higher understanding of democracy is to satisfy the interests of all,” Volkogonov said. Moreover, he said, other countries have multiple names as well--like “America” and “United States.”

Khasbulatov let only four more pro-compromise speakers have the floor, then shut off debate and demanded a vote, warning the Parliament that it was deciding the fate of representative democracy in Russia.

This time, the Congress gave Yeltsin what he wanted, 759 to 77.

As amended again, the constitution now states that “Russian Federation” and “Russia” can be used interchangeably. That juridical double talk should satisfy both Russian nationalists and non-Russians for whom the word federation means they will not again become the subjects of Moscow.

The Congress, which was supposed to last for only nine days but will start its 12th day of work today, was not always as malleable, and nostalgic Communists were able to gather enough votes to block some motions deleting the now-defunct Soviet Union’s name from Russia’s constitution.

One member of Yeltsin’s government, Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir Shokhin, said the naysayers were staging “an attempt at a constitutional coup.”

The Congress also failed to muster the two-thirds majority needed to adopt a constitutional amendment proposed by the ambassador to Washington, Vladimir P. Lukin, that would have proclaimed Russia’s intention to adhere to arms-control treaties and other pacts signed by the old Soviet Union.

Since such an amendment is not required for ratification and Yeltsin has consistently pledged Russia’s willingness to obey the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty and others, the Congress vote seemed to have no practical effect.

For the moment, however, Russia’s constitution is still studded with references to the Soviet Union, so lawmakers decided that they will return to that issue when they discuss the loose grouping that succeeded the Soviet Union--the Commonwealth of Independent States.

Despite running much longer than planned, the Congress has not yet tackled some of the most urgent items on its agenda, including elections, appointments to the legislature and courts, and Russia’s role in the Commonwealth.