What do you think of Boris Yeltsin?

by **Parthian Shooters** » Mon Oct 05, 2015 6:14 am

I think he was a good leader when he was sober. Unfortunately he wasn't sober much. He trusted free markets too much and brought ruin and chaos to his people. A lot of people like him because when he was leader Russia was weak.

by **Parthian Shooters** » Mon Oct 05, 2015 6:16 am

I think some tzars were worse.

by **Wadden-Amrum** » Mon Oct 05, 2015 6:18 am

A wonder he was sober enough to stop the coup in the first place.

Worst leader modern Russia ever had. He dissolved the Russian government with the support of the military.

Nice guy, eh?

by **Rusozak** » Mon Oct 05, 2015 6:19 am

He was a good leader in 1991 when he was a voice for Russian independence/anti-communists. After that... eh...

by **Terran Cooperative** » Mon Oct 05, 2015 6:24 am

From what I've heard he's one of the worst leaders Russia has ever had, beaten only by several Tsars. You can say what you like about Putin but compared to this guy Putin is almost a saint since he removed most of the corruption within his government and despite clear election fraud and homophobic policies has managed to keep a somewhat stable and prosperous Russia.

by **Herrebrugh** » Mon Oct 05, 2015 6:52 am

Not much, but I hear he was a (drunk) dick, so he probably was.

Last.fm · by **Adab** » Mon Oct 05, 2015 7:08 am

He did, well, so-so. He definitely wasn't among the greatest, but somehow still managed to last more than eight years as President of Russia and even win reelection amid charges of pervasive corruption. He was well-intentioned, at least before he became president, but once he was in office he either failed or neglected to (but probably both) deal properly with all the corruption, illegally ordered the Supreme Soviet parliament dissolved, pretty much banned political opposition, and was unable to adequately address the crises that were converging on Russia. I guess all the power and wealth corrupted him to some extent, and his heart problems and struggles with alcoholism obviously did nothing to help him.

Assuming presidency as a widely-popular and inspiring figure, anti-establishment and anti-authoritarian (or at least perceived to be so), he renounced it as perhaps the most unpopular politician in Russia, corrupted by power and wealth, destabilized by personal and health problems, worn down by the rigors of his office, and overwhelmed by all the economic and political crises in Russia.

by **Risottia** » Mon Oct 05, 2015 7:22 am

Terrible "leader" (more like a puppet of the Russian mafia and of the Western lobbies, continuously pissed on vodka), but still better than Nikolaj II Romanov, Boris Godunov or the False Dimitryj .

by **Allanea** » Mon Oct 05, 2015 7:23 am

He's essentially destroyed Russia's chance at Democracy.

by **High Republic of Portugal** » Mon Oct 05, 2015 7:27 am

Cool guy to have a bar conversation.

Terrible leader. He's to blame for Putin's rise. On the other hand, he was much like his own people (drunk and not givin' enough fucks) post-Soviet times. I enjoyed him because he crushed the commies.

I certainly don't consider him one of the worse Russian leaders considering their tendency for bad leadership. Let's face it, Putin is awful.

Russia's economy is ever decreasing whilst he increases his pockets and those of his friends. Plus, isolation from the west which Russia just can't afford and becoming China's bitch.

by **The Qeiiam Star Cluster** » Mon Oct 05, 2015 7:29 am

"You are the disaster."

by **The Nihilistic view** » Mon Oct 05, 2015 7:33 am

by **Urmanian** » Mon Oct 05, 2015 7:41 am

He was definitely one of the best leaders in Russian history, though the competition isn't exactly stiff. Russia under him showed signs of progress to unprecedented levels of freedom and civilization, but he did a lot of mistakes. He didn't go far enough in reforming the system in my opinion and ultimately did his part in creating the groundwork for Putinism. I strongly respect him as a symbol of a great era but I think there's more to be said for legitimately dedicated reformists like Yegor Gaidar. But the budding democracy of the 90's was certainly better than the yawning abyss of schizophrenia that came afterwards and if it was handled better it could have made Russia into a great country.

by **Teemant** » Mon Oct 05, 2015 7:43 am

I think he can't solely be blamed for what happened in 1990s (economy).

by **The Archregimancy** » Mon Oct 05, 2015 7:44 am

Risottia wrote:Terrible "leader" (more like a puppet of the Russian mafia and of the Western lobbies, continuously pissed on vodka), but still better than Nikolaj II Romanov, Boris Godunov or the False Dimitryj .

Boris Gudonov wasn't so bad.

For 13 years Boris was a brilliant and successful regent for Fyodor I ; when Fyodor died childless in 1598, Boris was a popular and obvious choice as the next Tsar. For the first three years of his reign, he continued to rule successfully. Though I can see why Marxists might not think too highly of the reforms that instituted the particularly Russian form of modern serfdom.

It was the disastrous famine of 1601-1603 that undermined Boris' reign, and instituted the Time of Troubles; but it's not as if Boris had much control over the Peruvian volcanic eruption that caused the famine. Boris' death in 1605, and the murder of his son and successor Fyodor that same year, destabilised the Russian state just when it needed a strong leader to deal with the aftermath of the famine and the foreign support for the False Dmitri; but I'm not sure that Boris chose to have a stroke, either.

But for a volcano in Peru, Boris would be remembered much more kindly.

by **Teemant** » Mon Oct 05, 2015 7:46 am

Risottia wrote:Terrible "leader" (more like a puppet of the Russian mafia and of the Western lobbies, continuously pissed on vodka), but still better than Nikolaj II Romanov, Boris Godunov or the False Dimitryj .

What makes him so terrible?

by **Kelinfort** » Mon Oct 05, 2015 7:48 am

He was a mediocre sitcom star

by **Allanea** » Mon Oct 05, 2015 7:54 am

Urmanian wrote:He was definitely one of the best leaders in Russian history, though the competition isn't exactly stiff. Russia under him showed signs of progress to unprecedented levels of freedom and civilization, but he did a lot of mistakes. He didn't go far enough in reforming the system in my opinion and ultimately did his part in creating the groundwork for Putinism. I strongly respect him as a symbol of a great era but I think there's more to be said for legitimately dedicated reformists like Yegor Gaidar. But the budding democracy of the 90's was certainly better than the yawning abyss of schizophrenia that came afterwards and if it was handled better it could have made Russia into a great country.

Russia has not held a single fair Federal election after Yeltsin violated the Constitution and had tanks fire on Parliament.

What possible democracy can be discussed when there were no fair elections?

Further, Yeltsin was responsible for the drafting of a Russian constitution that places the President over all 3 branches of government, and thus does not have true separation of powers. This is the cause for the metastasizing of the office of the Russian President into the travesty that exists today.

Putin also oversaw a complete and utter collapse of:

1. The Russian military (enabling the loss of the First Chechen war for instance, and the deaths of literall dozens of thousands of civilians, both ethnic Russians and ethnic Chechens).
2. Law and order in Russia. THis enabled terrorists to operate freely not just in Chechnya, but also in Ingushetia, Stavropol Krai, Dagestan, even in Moscow itself. Not to mention vast waves of crime that covered Russia until the mid-2000s.
3. In 1999 Yeltsin's government laid down the draft for Article 282 of the Criminal Code, finally passed after he left office. This is to this day used for censorship.
4. Yeltsin's government shut the opposition out of the major TV stations (excepting NTV, which was reserved for only some opposition fractions, and had a limited viewership).

by **Japanese California** » Mon Oct 05, 2015 8:20 am

As a leader of the coup against the Soviet government, he didn't do anything in his nation although he bow to put down the rebellion of Chechen nationalists and Chechen Islamists.

by **Kar-Esseria** » Mon Oct 05, 2015 10:53 am

A corrupt drunkard who destroyed Russia's chance at Democracy and Capitalism.

Worst leader in Russia's history, period.

by **Teemant** » Mon Oct 05, 2015 10:54 am

Kar-Esseria wrote:A corrupt drunkard who destroyed Russia's chance at Democracy and Capitalism.

Worst leader in Russia's history, period.

Odds were stacked against him from start on.

by **Washington Resistance Army** » Mon Oct 05, 2015 10:55 am

He could certainly outdrink me.

by **United Marxist Nations** » Mon Oct 05, 2015 10:55 am

Absolutely awful.

by **Kar-Esseria** » Mon Oct 05, 2015 10:57 am

Teemant wrote:
Kar-Esseria wrote:A corrupt drunkard who destroyed Russia's chance at Democracy and Capitalism.

Worst leader in Russia's history, period.

Odds were stacked against him from start on.

What odds?

by **Teemant** » Mon Oct 05, 2015 10:57 am

Kar-Esseria wrote:
Teemant wrote:
Odds were stacked against him from start on.

What odds?

He didn't build Russia from scratch when Soviet Union collapsed but inherited everything what was wrong with it.

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