The large body was preceded by the
government of the Soviet Union. The government's structure has undergone several significant changes since the Russian Federation emerged from 1991 to 1992. In the initial years, many government bodies, primarily the different ministries, underwent massive reorganization as the old Soviet governing networks were adapted to the new state. Many reshuffles and renamings occurred. On 28 November 1991, the President of the RSFSR
Boris Yeltsin signed
presidential decree No.242 "On the reorganization of the government bodies of the RSFSR". Yeltsin officially declared the end of the Soviet Union and became the President of the Russian Federation. Yeltsin was a reformer and promised Western-styled democracy. The new Russian Constitution was adopted in 1993. It gained legitimacy through its bicameral legislature, an independent judiciary, the position of the president and the prime minister, and democratic features. These democratic features included competitive multi-party elections, separation of powers, federalism, and protection of civil liberties. In 1999, Yeltsin appointed
Vladimir Putin the Prime Minister. Later that year, Yeltsin resigned from the presidency, and Putin took over as the acting president. In its first round, Putin won the
2000 Russian presidential election, gaining 53.44% of the vote. The most recent change took place on 14 May 2024, when President
Vladimir Putin signed a presidential decree on forming
Mikhail Mishustin's Second Cabinet. ==Responsibilities and power==