English subtitles for clip: File:Boris Yeltsin - 1999-12-31.ogv

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Dear Russians,

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there remains very little time

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before a historic date in our history:

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The year 2000.

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It is a new century.

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A new millenium.

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We all "tried on" this date ourselves.

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In childhood, growing up, we thought:

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how old will we be in 2000?

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How old will be our mothers? Our children?

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It once seemed so distant,

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this extraordinary new year.

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But the day has arrived.

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Dear friends, my friends,

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Today will be the final time

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that I turn to you bearing New Year's greetings.

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That's not all.

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Today is the final time I address you as President of Russia.

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I have decided.

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I have thought long and hard about it.

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Today, on the final day of the old century,

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I shall be resigning.

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I have heard many times:

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"Yeltsin will hold onto power by any means,

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he won't hand it over to anyone."

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This is a lie.

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There has been a different purpose.

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I have always stated

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that I will not deviate from the Constitution one bit,

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that Duma elections must be held under constitutional terms.

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And it happened.

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Furthermore, I sought,

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on time,

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the 2000 presidential election.

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It was very important for Russia.

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We were setting a major precedent for Russia:

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civilized, voluntary transfer of power

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From one president of Russia

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to another, newly-elected one.

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But a different decision has been made.

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I am...

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leaving.

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I am leaving ahead of schedule.

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I know that I must do this.

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Russia must enter a new millenium

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With new politicians, with new faces,

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with new, smart, strong, and energetic people.

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And us,

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those who have held power for many years,

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must leave.

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Seeing how, with such hope and faith,

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the people voted in the Duma elections for a new generation of politicians,

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I understand it, the main purpose of my life:

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To ensure that Russia shall never again return to the past.

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Russia now shall move only forwards.

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And I can't get in the way of this natural course of history.

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Six more months of holding onto the reins,

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when the country has a good man,

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one who is worthy of being president,

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and with whom today almost every Russian

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binds their hopes for the future.

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Why should I get in his way?

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Why wait six more months?

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No. For me, it just isn't in my nature.

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Today, in this extraordinarily important day for me,

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I want to say something a little more personal than I usually would.

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I want to ask for your forgiveness,

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because many of our, of your dreams didn't come true,

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and what seemed so simple

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was really excruciatingly difficult.

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I apologise that I could not live up to the hopes and dreams

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of those who thought, in one fell swoop,

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with one jerk, with one action, we could leap

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from our authoritarian, stagnant past

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into a bright, rich, and civilised future.

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I thought so, too.

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It seemed like nothing,

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for we can pull together and overcome anything.

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But one push didn't work.

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In some ways, I was too naïve.

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In some cases, there were problems too complex to solve.

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We were rushing

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forwards, through mistakes and failures.

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Many people in this troubled time experienced shock.

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But I want you to know,

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although I never said it,

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today it is important that I do:

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The pain that each of you felt

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resonated in me.

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It resonated in my heart,

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with sleepless nights and painful experiences:

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"What can I do,

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so that the people, at least a little bit,

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at least a little bit, can live easier and better lives?

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There was no task more important to me.

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I am...

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leaving.

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I've done all that I can.

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I'll be replaced by a new generation,

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a generation of those who can do more and do better.

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In accordance with the Constitution's rules on resignation,

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I have signed a decree entrusting the duties of the presidency

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to Prime Minister Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin.

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For the next three months he shall be head of state,

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And in three months' time, in accordance with the Constitution,

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presidential elections will take place.

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I have always been sure of the Russian people's outstanding wisdom,

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and I have no doubt

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what choice you shall make

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at the end of March 2000.

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Saying my goodbyes,

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I want

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to say,

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to each

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of you:

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Be happy.

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You all deserve happiness.

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Happiness and peace.

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Happy new year, and happy new century,

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my dear friends.