Dmitry Medvedev has been inaugurated as the RF president today, May 7, 2008. He is the third president of Russia and the youngest leader of past 100 years.

Russia’s new president is just 42 years old. Vladimir Putin was 47 when he became the president and Russia’s first president, Boris Yeltsin, was 60. The first president of the USSR Mikhail Gorbachev was the youngest general secretary of the CPSU, but Gorbachev became the country’s leader at the age of 54.

Longtime ally of Putin, Medvedev was appointed the first deputy prime minister in November of 2005.

Putin named Medvedev as his most favored successor, ensuring the overwhelming victory of the latter at March 2 presidential election. Some 70.28 percent of Russia’s citizens that voted at election backed up exactly Medvedev.

First time in Russia’s history, the current president whose authority neared the end has handed over the power to president-elect. The tenure of President Vladimir Putin expired May 7 and Putin last greeted the Kremlin regiment as the Supreme Commander-in-Chief today.

Source: http://www.kommersant.com/p-12486/r_527/Medvedev_inauguration/