Former Russian President Boris Yeltsin has died at the age of 76. The Kremlin confirmed his death on Monday, while Russian news agencies reported the cause of Yeltsin’s death as heart failure.

The first freely elected leader of Russia, he had come to power in a landslide victory, winning Russia’s first presidential election in June 1991. During his reign, the breakup of the Soviet Union into independent states took place. Before 2000, he faded from the political scene, handing over power to then Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

Yeltsin is survived by his wife Naina, two daughters and several grandchildren. Funeral plans have not yet been announced.