Primakov, Yevgeny Maksimovich (1928– )

Russian politician, prime minister 1998–99. He was appointed foreign minister in 1995 in order to give President Boris Yeltsin some credibility with those who supported the communists and nationalists. His championing of Russia's interests and his willingness to use anti-Western rhetoric restored some of the damage done to injured pride. As prime minister, Primakov saw the achievement of consensus as more important than reform, and refused to adopt an economic programme that could attract the support of the IMF. Political peace was preserved, at the cost of a disastrously declining economy. Primakov was sacked by Yeltsin in a surprise move in May 1999.

Primakov had previously been head of the reformed KGB, in charge of the section responsible for secret service work overseas and for counter-espionage. Though he oversaw a dramatic scaling down of its personnel and its activity, he emerged as a sharp critic of Western policy towards Russia, issuing warnings that the Western secret services were infiltrating Russian political and economic life through a variety of aid and other organizations. His anti-Westernism made him popular in a country in which capitalism was working only for the few and democracy was seen by many as a sham.

Primakov had a relatively successful career under every regime he encountered in his adult life. Accepted for the prestigious Institute for Eastern Studies in Stalin's time, he became a leading journalist on Pravda – the summit of Soviet journalism – in the 1960s under Khrushchev, then climbed further as a leading theorist and adviser on foreign affairs under Brezhnev to become, under Mikhail Gorbachev, a close aide, especially on Middle Eastern and African policy. He did not, however, sink with Gorbachev as many of the last Soviet general secretary's aides did.

Primakov agreed in August 1999 to lead a new opposition alliance, known as ‘Fatherland’ organization, based around Yuri Luzhkov, the mayor of Moscow, at the parliamentary elections in December.