During the August putsch of 1991, despite the mass rallies taking place in Petrozavodsk and the active pro-Yeltsinist position of the city council, the republican authorities refused to give any comments about what was happening in Moscow, citing the alleged lack of reliable information.

[4] On 22 September 1993, during the constitutional crisis in Russia, the Stepanov-led Supreme Council of Karelia supported the decision of the Congress of People's Deputies to impeach president Boris Yeltsin.

On September 30, Stepanov left for Moscow to attend a meeting of representatives of the regions to discuss ways out of the crisis.

[5] Stepanov took part in the election to the newly established upper house of Russia, the Federation Council, which took place on 12 December 1993.

On 17 April 1994 Stepanov won the prime ministerial election with 68.6% of the votes, being the only candidate (Blinnikov withdrew his candidacy).

[6] Since 1994, Karelia has been an active participant of the Barents Euro-Arctic projects, in 1995 it joined the cooperation through the Council of the Baltic Sea States.

[8] In 1997, Stepanov's government has been sharply criticized after the new owner of the Segezha Pulp and Paper Mill, Swedish AssiDoman AB was forced to suspend production at the plant, failing to negotiate with the republican authorities on benefits for payments on debts to the Pension Fund.

[3] In 2001, after the Federation Council reform, governors of Russian regions, including Sergey Katanandov, lost their right to be ex officio senators.