Diary of the Standoff

Russia’s political standoff, day by day:

Sept. 21: President Boris N. Yeltsin announces he is disbanding Parliament and calls new elections in December. Hard-line lawmakers meet in emergency session, vote to impeach Yeltsin and appoint Vice President Alexander V. Rutskoi as president.

Sept. 22: Military and police stick with Yeltsin. Downtown crowds cheer the president. Lawmakers’ calls for a nationwide strike go unheeded.

Sept. 23: Gunmen who authorities say are from a right-wing officers’ group try to storm military command post. Yeltsin announces early presidential elections for June, six months after Parliamentary ones.

Sept. 24: Yeltsin orders Parliament’s defenders disarmed.

Sept. 25: Yeltsin says he won’t use violence to end the standoff.

Sept. 26: Thousands cheer Yeltsin at a concert on Red Square and at least 10,000 march in support through downtown.

Sept. 27: Yeltsin rejects proposals for simultaneous presidential and Parliamentary elections.

Sept. 28: Hard-line protesters clash with riot police.

Sept. 29: Yeltsin gives lawmakers until Monday to leave Parliament or face “serious consequences.” Hard-liners indicate willingness to negotiate.

Sept. 30: Both sides agree to talks mediated by Russian Orthodox Church.

Oct. 1: Talks end inconclusively, and lawmakers reject a proposal to surrender their arms in return for having the blockade on Parliament lifted.

Oct. 2: Hundreds of stone-throwing hard-liners battle police and set up burning barricades in the largest clash of the crisis to date.

Oct. 3: Yeltsin declares state of emergency in Moscow after about 10,000 hard-liners overwhelm riot police and lift the siege of the Parliament in fierce street fighting. Protesters seize key government facilities.

Oct. 4: Troops and tanks encircle the Parliament building, or White House. Yeltsin speaks to the nation at 9 a.m., says: “The armed revolt is doomed.” At 10 a.m., tanks shell the White House, pounding large holes in the building. Fires break out inside, driving many occupants out. Rutskoi and Military troops sweep the building for snipers.