Mikhail Lapshin

Mikhail Ivanovich Lapshin (Russian: Михаил Иванович Лапшин) (1 September 1934 – 17 June 2006) was the President of the Altai Republic in Russia from 2002 to 2006.

Lapshin was born in Setovka, Altai Krai. He became President of the Altai Republic in January 2002. He defeated incumbent Semyon Zubakin in the December 2001 elections with 68% of the vote. In the first round of the elections, Lapshin and Zubakin were in a field of many candidates, and Lapshin received 23% of the vote. Lapshin survived an impeachment attempt in March 2005 by a vote of 22–14 in the state assembly. In December 2005, as his term was expiring, Lapshin was not renominated by President Vladimir Putin for another term, which was necessary for him to continue because of changes in the law. He was succeeded on 20 January 2006, by one of his 2001 election opponents, Alexander Berdnikov. He was also a leader of Agrarian Party of Russia between 1993 and 2004.

Lapshin died several months after leaving his post as president of Altai, of unknown natural causes. Little information about his death is currently available.