On 29 December 1991 the president of Russia Boris Yeltsin appointed Arkady Veprev as the head of Krasnoyarsk Krai Administration.

Veprev, a 64-year old former sovkhoz chairman, who was hostile to privatization, went on a conflict with local legislature and was forced to resign less than 13 months after his appointment.

Five years later, he lost to General Alexander Lebed, who received about 60% of the vote in the runoff.

[1] After Lebed died in a helicopter crash in April 2002, the early election was set up for 8 September.

In 2007 he was reappointed by president Vladimir Putin as Krasnoyarsk Krai was reorganized by annexation of Taymyr and Evenk Autonomous Okrugs.