And twenty-five years ago this weekend, Russian citizens faced down that coup, scoring what appeared at the time to be a stunning and historic victory over tyranny.
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Brian Whitmore: The spirit of 1991
(FILES) This file photo taken on August 21, 1991 shows people gathering in front of a barricade made of trams at the site of overnight clashes with pro-coup soldiers in Moscow.
Twenty-five years ago this summer, Russia held its first - and arguably last - free and fair presidential election. Twenty-five years ago today, a hard-line coup in Moscow sought to reverse that democratic progress.
