Given almost no hope of re-election early in the year, Russian President Boris Yeltsin has won a second term in a stunning victory over his rival, Communist Gennady Zyuganov. Russia's second-ever presidential election and its outcome will be pivotal to the nation's future.

Below, you will find an overview of the entire election process,a profile of the major candidates from the first round, related web sites and what was at stake in the second round of elections.

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Yeltsin takes office as crisis deepens in Chechnya A tired-looking Boris Yeltsin was sworn in as president of Russia Friday as fierce fighting in the breakaway republic of Chechnya threatened to overshadow what was to be Yeltsin's triumphant re-election. -Full Story-

Related stories:

• Yeltsin calls for unity after sweeping victory - July 4
• World leaders hail Yeltsin's win - July 4
• Yeltsin has triumphant re-election victory - July 3
• Russian villages to vote for past -- or present - July 3
• Communists charge Russian television with election law violation - July 2
• Yeltsin surfaces -- on tape - July 1
• Yeltsin lays low as campaign winds down - June 30
• Whose Russian army is it, anyway? - June 30
• Poll shows Yeltsin far ahead of rival - June 28
• Russian rivals shake, jiggle and roll - June 28
• Russian contenders battle apathy as runoff approaches - June 27
• Yeltsin firings may not be enough of a campaign boost - June 25
• Zyuganov proposes coalition government - June 24
• On invasion's anniversary, Yeltsin preaches against NATO expansion - June 21
• Yeltsin's biggest threat: Voter apathy - June 21
• Yeltsin fires key security officials - June 20
• Lebed to advise Yeltsin: Let Chechnya go - June 19
• Yeltsin bolsters runoff bid, names ex-rival security chief - June 18
• Former Russian general hesitant to rally forces for rivals - June 17
• Campaign tug-of-war begins for second Russian election - June 17
• West still concerned about Russia's nuclear weapons - June 17
• Yeltsin issues election statement - June 17
• Yeltsin leads in Russian presidential election - June 17
• Runoff seems nearly certain in Russian election - June 16
• Yeltsin grabs slight lead as early returns come in - June 16
• Soviet re-union a key part of Zyuganov's campaign - June 16
• Chechnya's voter turnout in dispute - June 16
• Disgruntled eastern Russians take beliefs to ballot box - June 16
• Russians flock to polls in pivotal election - June 16
• Polls open for Russian presidential election - June 15
• World anxious about Russian elections - June 15
• Yeltsin, Zyuganov in statistical dead heat as campaign ends - June 14
• Russian election could signal shift in new world order - June 14
• Zyuganov presents two faces of communism - June 14
• Observers say Russian media favor Yeltsin - June 13
• Confident, Yeltsin won't stop Chechnya election - June 13
• A mandate for change -- no matter who wins - June 12
• Yeltsin blames political extremists for subway blast - June 12
• Bomb rocks Moscow subway - June 11

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