Quotes by Boris Jelzin

It is especially important to encourage unorthodox thinking when the situation is critical. At such moments every new word and fresh thought is more precious than gold. Indeed, people must not be deprived of the right to think their own thoughts.

You can build a throne with bayonets, but you can't sit on it for long.

Let's not talk about Communism. Communism was just an idea, just pie in the sky.

We don't appreciate what we have until it's gone. Freedom is like that. It's like air. When you have it, you don't notice it.

A man must live like a great brilliant flame and burn as brightly as he can. In the end he burns out. But this is far better than a mean little flame.