Boris Yeltsin:

I drink, I swear, I play the accordion. I am a normal Russian man.

— Boris Yeltsin Contemporary

First Russian Federation president

Attributed, often used to characterize his populist image

Approx. 1990s

Verification

Unverifiable

Found in 1 providers: grok

Cross Reference

1 source

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

"I will not crawl on my knees to beg for power."

"The reforms in Russia are irreversible. There is no going back."

"I am not a democrat by birth, but I have become one."

"I'm a man of the people."