▁presiden cy ▁for ▁a ▁second ▁term , ▁receiving ▁ 7 1 % ▁of ▁the ▁vote . ▁The ▁Bes lan ▁school ▁host age ▁crisis ▁took ▁place ▁in ▁September ▁ 2 0 0 4 ; ▁more ▁than ▁ 3 3 0 ▁people ▁died , ▁including ▁ 1 8 6 ▁children . ▁ ▁The ▁near ▁ 1 0 - year ▁period ▁prior ▁to ▁the ▁rise ▁of ▁Put in ▁after ▁the ▁dissol ution ▁of ▁Soviet ▁rule ▁was ▁a ▁time ▁of ▁up he aval ▁in ▁Russia . ▁In ▁a ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁Kre ml in ▁speech , ▁Put in ▁character ized ▁the ▁collapse ▁of ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁as ▁the ▁" gre at est ▁ge opol it ical ▁cat ast rop he ▁of ▁the ▁Tw enti eth ▁Century ." ▁Put in ▁elabor ated ▁" More over , ▁the ▁ep ide mic ▁of ▁dis integration ▁inf ected ▁Russia ▁itself ." ▁The ▁country ' s ▁cr ad le - to - gra ve ▁social ▁safety ▁net ▁was ▁gone ▁and ▁life ▁expect ancy ▁decl ined ▁in ▁the ▁period ▁preceding ▁Put in ' s ▁rule . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁the ▁National ▁Prior ity ▁Project s ▁were ▁launched ▁to ▁improve ▁Russia ' s ▁health ▁care , ▁education , ▁housing ▁and ▁agricult ure . ▁ ▁The ▁continued ▁criminal ▁pro sec ution ▁of ▁Russia ' s ▁then ▁rich est ▁man , ▁President ▁of ▁Y uk os ▁oil ▁and ▁gas ▁company ▁Mik h ail ▁Kh od ork ov sky , ▁for ▁fra ud ▁and ▁tax ▁ev asion ▁was ▁seen ▁by ▁the