A Russian Score Card

It may have started as a high, philosophic dispute about how a nation should be governed. But the long struggle in Moscow quickly became an exercise in raw, brute force. In the end, there were winners and losers. Here’s a brief look at some of them and how they stand, at least for now:

WINNERS

“We cannot afford to be in the position of wavering at this moment or backing off or giving any encouragement to people who clearly want to derail the elections process and are not committed to reform in Russia.”

BILL CLINTON, U.S. President

BIG WINNER: Questions will clearly continue about the United States’ unwavering support for one man in so chaotic a situation. But with Yeltsin triumphant--and seemingly more dedicated than ever to economic and political reform--the American White House looks as if it has made the right bet to abet global stability.

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ALEXI II, Russian Orthodox Patriarch

GOOD GUY: Blessed be the peacemakers, even if all they do is make a good-faith offer. His bid to mediate the political logjam between Yeltsin and the hard-liners never got off the ground. But it was a timely, righteous-sounding proposal.

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PAVEL S. GRACHEV, Russian Defense Minister

VIKTOR S. CHERNOMYRDIN, Russian Prime Minister

YEGOR T. GAIDAR, Russian First Deputy Prime Minister/Economics Minister

SMART PICKS: When the boss triumphs, everyone who backed him looks great. In the case of Yeltsin’s team, many of his ministers got a boost from the battle in Moscow. Chernomyrdin talked the tough line, rejecting the losers’ pleas for negotiations. Grachev was clambering on tanks and doing one of his key tasks as defense chief--delivering military muscle when it was most needed. As for Gaidar, he may not have been as visible. But the clout Yeltsin seems to have acquired in his latest combat can only benefit the effort to shove through further economic reforms, as Gaidar proposes.

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“Those waving red (Communist) flags have once again covered Russia with blood . . . . For them and for those who gave them orders, there can be no forgiveness, because they lifted their hand against peaceful people, against Moscow, against Russia, against women, children and old people. The armed revolt is doomed.’

BORIS N. YELTSIN, Russian President

BIGGEST WINNER: He argued for what appeared to be a most democratic option to determine how Russia should be governed--elections to choose a new legislative body and, later, the president. His opponents resisted. When their stalemate escalated into violence, it was Yeltsin’s foes who spilled first blood. When he called on the military--whose allegiances were in doubt--they supported him. His forces routed his opposition. As of Monday, Yeltsin looked as if he had a solid grip on Russia. But there may yet be fallout.

LOSERS

ALEXANDER V. RUTSKOI, Russian Vice President

RUSLAN KHASBULATOV, Chairman, Supreme Soviet and Chairman, Congress of People’s Deputies

BIGGEST LOSERS: They resisted what seemed to be the democratic option--elections to determine whether they would continue to hold their legislative jobs. They quibbled about every issue they could find. The disputed, for example, whether the legislative and presidential elections should be conducted in sequence or at the same time. They later upped the ante in their high-stakes stand-off against Yeltsin, calling for demonstrations that turned ugly. Initially, the support for Khasbulatov and Rutskoi, a hero of the war in Afghanistan, appeared strong. They spoke of their supporters taking control of key buildings and the government itself. But they’re now in custody and indications are that they won’t get gentle treatment.

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VALERY ZORKIN, Chairman, Russian Constitutional Court

FUMBLER: Blessed may be the peacemakers. But those, like Zorkin, who wander into the midst of grim struggles and can’t get them resolved often end up suffering themselves. It also didn’t help that he seemed to vacillate and to take sides.

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VLADISLAV ACHALOV, Russian three-star general

VIKTOR P. BARANIKOV, One-time Russian Security Minister

VLADIMIR DUNAYEV, Interior minister appointee

BAD PICKS: When the bosses fall, they often take many of their supporters with them. In the case of Achalov, Baranikov and Denayev, they went in a few days’ time from holding high-level appointments to being state criminals.

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VIKTOR I. AMPILOV, Leader, Russian Communist Workers’ Party

ILYA V. CONSTANTINOV, Co-Chairman, Front for National Salvation

OUTTA THERE: They led key groups that made up the hard-line opposition and at various points had helped to foment protests that turned violent. Yeltsin, however, on Monday began wielding his clout, banning an array of groups and organizations that opposed him and his government.