August 24, 1991

A political shock wave swept through the Soviet Union in the aftermath of the failed coup today as the Communist Party reeled in retreat across the nation and President Mikhail S. Gorbachev yielded to the ascendancy of the Russian President, Boris N. Yeltsin. Mr. Gorbachev, struggling to regain his leadership role after three days as a hostage to the coup plotted by hard-line Communists, spoke before the Russian republic's Parliament. During his appearance, broadcast on national television, he found himself facing an openly skeptical, at times abusive audience. He was scorned by the lawmakers for remaining loyal to the party after the harrowing national ordeal of the last five days.

Political shock wave: a virtual countercoup against Communism. 4 After the euphoria of tearing down, perils of rebuilding. 5 Gorbachev and Yeltsin, speaking and sparring in Russia's Parliament: a transcript. 6-7 In the Baltic republics, lighting bonfires to annexation. 8 In the West, trying to keep pace with the changes. 9

Boris N. Yeltsin and his minions were riding high on their victory today, grilling a humbled Mikhail S. Gorbachev, shaping the composition of the next Government, shutting down hostile newspapers and suspending the Russian Communist Party. But even as they savored the spoils of a decisive victory over a system that had resisted them so long, it was far from clear that their ascendance would translate into the radical transformation of Soviet society that has been their goal.

The Communist Party, for decades the bulwark of the Soviet state, was put to a humiliating rout today, as party bosses and organizations across the country either defected or were locked out of their offices in mass retribution for the party's complicity in the coup attempt this week. In Moscow today, Boris N. Yeltsin, President of the Russian federated republic, ordered a halt to the publication of Pravda and other party newspapers, sealed the headquarters of the Central Committee and suspended the activities of the Russian republic's party branch while an investigation takes place into party support for the coup.

Crown Heights Is Calmer; Sharpton to March Today A huge police presence quieted the racially troubled Brooklyn neighborhood, but the Mayor failed to head off a march today by black groups. Police officials conceded that they had been poorly prepared initially to deal with the disturbances. Page 27. A Strong Economic Sign New factory orders for durable goods leaped 10.7 percent in July, the biggest gain in nearly 21 years, the Government said. Economists saw danger lessening that the economy might slip back into recession. Page 39. Jim Bakker's Sentence Cut The former television evangelist, whose 45-year prison term for fraud was thrown out by an appeals court, was sentenced to 18 years. Page 10. F.B.I. Acts in Racial Case The Federal Bureau of Investigation said it had disciplined eight employees for their roles in the racial harassment of a black agent. Page 11. Hartford Budget Aftermath The day after an income tax was finally adopted in Connecticut, politicians hunkered down to weather the expected political storm. Page 27.