Zyuganov, Gennadi Andreyevich (1944– )

Russian politician, leader of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF) from 1992. During President Mikhail Gorbachev's glasnost programme 1988–91, he served as deputy director of the party's ideology department. Zyuganov failed in his challenge for the presidency against Boris Yeltsin in 1996.

Zyuganov was born near Orel, Russia, and joined the Soviet Communist Party while in his 20s. In December 1992, after the break-up of the Soviet Union, he assumed leadership of the (then-banned) reform-socialist CPRF and oversaw the resurrection of the party's fortunes. In the December 1995 Russian parliamentary elections, the CPRF finished in first place with 22% of the vote. In the July 1996 Russian presidential election Zyuganov attracted 40% of the national vote.