Gennady Yanayev, who declared himself president of the Soviet Union, dead at 73

Soviet coup plotter Yanayev dies at 73

MOSCOW — Russia’s Communist Party says Gennady Yanayev, a coup plotter who briefly declared himself president of the Soviet Union, replacing Mikhail Gorbachev, has died at age 73.

A statement from the party said Yanayev died Friday after an unspecified lengthy illness.

Yanayev was vice president of the Soviet Union when he and other coup plotters shocked the world on Aug. 18, 1991, with the announcement that Gorbachev was tired and that Yanayev was taking over.

The coup collapsed three days later and Gorbachev returned to power, but the putsch hastened the collapse of the Soviet Union, which was dissolved four months later.