Today marks the passing of Boris Yeltsin, former president of Russia. While opinions of Boris will no doubt vary greatly and since I do not know many details of Russian politics, I will refrain from casting any strong opinions. I’ll remember him best for standing up Albert Reynolds on the runway and admiring how although often stone-faced he seemed to ooze charisma in his later days in office. I probably (intentionally) confuse this with his erratic behaviour towards the end of his term. Russians will recall him as the man who fronted the movement that persuaded the people not to support the coup to overturn the office of Mikhail Gorbachev and summon the end of glasnost and perestroika (probably still the only two Russian words that the majority of the Western world knows). Rest in peace Boris.
Boris Yeltson
original image http://www.univer.omsk.su/