Updated: 03.10.2003

The October 1993 clashes in Moscow, which claimed at least 160 lives, began with rioting on October 2 and led to tanks rolling up to the parliament building on October 4.

The unrest was sparked by President Yeltsin's decision in late September to dissolve a parliament increasingly opposed to his economic reforms. He also scrapped the constitution, replacing it with another that gave him near-monarchic executive powers. Rebel MPs, comprising communists, liberals and fascists, responded by barricading themselves into the parliament.

The self-appointed leader of the rebels, the vice-president, Alexander Rutskoi, appealed to Muscovites to come out on to the streets to protest; few did, and it was clear the parliamentary rebels had overestimated their support.

After 10 days of siege, during which water and electricity were cut to the Russian White House, a crowd of protesters attacked police lines around the building. Mr Rutskoi then urged them - together with General Albert Makashov, who led the rebels' armed contingent - to go on to the TV centre at Ostankino, on October 3. It was protected by a group of elite soldiers loyal to Mr Yeltsin. The TV centre was significantly damaged, and stopped broadcasting.

Next morning Mr Yeltsin felt he had enough bloodshed and chaos on the streets of Moscow to justify sending tanks to crush the rebellious parliament.

Even so, most commanders refused to let their units be used in what they saw as a political fight. After hours of shooting, troops entered the building at 5pm, arresting Mr Rutskoi and other leaders.

At the time the west was keen to emphasise how its favoured reformer, Mr Yeltsin, had fought off a coup by crazed communist hardliners (having previously led resistance to the Stalinist coup against Mikhail Gorbachev in 1991 that ended the Soviet Union).

Yet many questions went unanswered, and over 10 years suspicions have grown that much of the violence was inspired by Mr Yeltsin's troops and aides, in an attempt to justify suppression of parliament. This permitted the president to change the constitution and enforce his economic programme, which essentially sold off state industrial assets to an elite which kept him in power.

The leaders of the October, 1993, uprising were charged with inciting mass disorder, imprisoned, given amnesty in early 1994, and released, sufficiently chastised that most have not since participated in national politics.

In September, 1995, the Office of Russia's Prosecutor General has closed its investigation of the October 1993 uprising.