Sergei Stepashin

Sergei Stepashin Сергей Степашин
Stepashin in 2009
Prime Minister of Russia
In office 12 May 1999 – 9 August 1999
President	Boris Yeltsin
Preceded by	Yevgeny Primakov
Succeeded by	Vladimir Putin
First Deputy Prime Minister of Russia
In office 27 April 1999 – 19 May 1999
Prime Minister	Yevgeny Primakov Acting PM himself
Preceded by	Vadim Gustov
Succeeded by	Nikolai Aksyonenko
Personal details
Born	Sergei Vadimovich Stepashin (1952-03-02) 2 March 1952 (age 64) Lüshunkou, China
Nationality	Russian
Spouse(s)	Tamara Stepashina
Children	Vladimir
Alma mater	Lenin Political-Military Academy, Finance Academy
Religion	Russian Orthodox
Awards	Order of Courage

Sergei Vadimovich Stepashin (Russian: Серге́й Вади́мович Степа́шин; born 2 March 1952) is a Russian politician who briefly served as Prime Minister of Russia in 1999. Currently he is Chairman of the Accounts Chamber of Russia. He was appointed federal security minister by President Boris Yeltsin in 1994. He resigned his position in 1995 as a consequence of the Budyonnovsk hospital hostage crisis.

Stepashin was born in Lüshunkou, China on 2 March 1952. He graduated from the Higher Political School of the USSR Ministry of the Interior (1973), in 1981 from the Lenin Military-Political Academy, and in 2002 from the Finance Academy. He is a Doctor of Law, Professor, and has a rank of the State Advisor on Justice of the Russian Federation. His Military rank is Colonel-General.

Stepashin served as the Head of the FSK (the predecessor of the FSB) from February 1994 until June 1995. He then became justice minister, serving from 1997 to March 1998, and interior minister, holding that office from March 1998 to May 1999, when he was appointed and confirmed by parliament as prime minister. Yeltsin made it fairly clear when he appointed him Prime Minister that Stepashin would only hold the position temporarily, and he was replaced in August 1999 by future president Vladimir Putin.