Boris Yeltsin emerged as a national hero in opposing the coup in the Soviet Union.

Background:
• In August 1991, a group of Soviet hardliners attempted a coup to remove Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev from power.
• The coup was led by Communist Party officials who were opposed to Gorbachev's reforms and wanted to restore the Soviet Union to its former state.
• The coup failed due to mass protests and resistance from the public, including Boris Yeltsin, who was the President of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic at the time.

Boris Yeltsin's Role:
• Yeltsin was a vocal critic of the coup from the beginning and was instrumental in organizing and leading the resistance against it.
• He addressed the crowds gathered in Moscow, calling for a general strike and urging the military to join the resistance.
• Yeltsin also climbed onto a tank outside the Russian White House, the seat of the Russian government, to address the crowds and show his defiance against the coup leaders.
• His bravery and leadership during the coup earned him widespread admiration and support from the public, and he emerged as a national hero.

Aftermath:
• The coup ultimately failed, and Gorbachev was restored to power.
• However, the coup's failure was a turning point in the collapse of the Soviet Union, as it revealed the deep divisions within the Communist Party and the military.
• Yeltsin's role in opposing the coup helped to elevate his profile and boost his political career, leading to his election as the first President of the Russian Federation in 1991.
• Yeltsin's opposition to the coup also paved the way for the eventual dissolution of the Soviet Union and the emergence of Russia as an independent state.