Yeltsin Starts Golden Years With a Smile

Former President Boris N. Yeltsin officially became a retiree Wednesday, receiving his pensioner’s card--and a promise that his pension will be paid on time, something his own administration was largely unable to do.

“I think [the government] will not be ashamed over any delays with pension payments that existed in the past,” the head of the Russian Pension Foundation, Mikhail Zurabov, told Yeltsin.

Zurabov spoke as he handed Yeltsin the card at the government-owned Gorky-9 country residence where the former leader lives.

“We will confidently pay pensions to all retirees, including you,” Zurabov said in footage broadcast on Russia’s main television channels.

The card gives Yeltsin, 69, the right to draw from a retirement account that will pay him $400 per month, which is 75% of his presidential salary. An ordinary Russian receives a monthly pension of about $17.

Like all pensioners, Yeltsin is entitled to free public transportation and a 50% discount on utilities. Unlike the average pensioner, Yeltsin will have a fleet of cars, bodyguards and special communications services at his disposal.

Shortly after Yeltsin resigned Dec. 31 and named then-Prime Minister Vladimir V. Putin as his successor, Putin signed a decree setting Yeltsin’s pension. Putin became president after winning election March 26.

On Wednesday, Yeltsin smiled and appeared healthy--a sharp contrast to the frequently slurred speech and other ailments that marked his last years in office.

“Even in this pensioner’s post, I will serve Russia,” Yeltsin said, adding after a pause, “with as much strength as I’ve got.”

During Yeltsin’s nine years in power, Russia’s state workers and retirees routinely received their pay months late, as the cash-strapped government struggled to collect enough revenue to cover even most basic expenditures.

The payment delays contributed to Russians’ wide dislike of Yeltsin.