1. he died of heart failure in hospital at 1545 (1145 GMT).[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18271701/ ]

2. Boris Yeltsin did help end 70 years of Soviet Communism, and that, in the long run, is what he will probably be remembered for. That why Western countries praise him for that.

3. After over 15 years in high office, he announced his retirement in the final hours of 1999, more than three months before his second term expired. He handed the power to the former secret service chief Vladimir Putin, who was prime minister at the time under the condition that no future charges will institute against him in Future[very interesting] . This gave Putin as acting president the chance to be elected as President.

4. The West praise him for bringing Democracy to Russia. But he who ordered Russian tanks to fire on his own parliament in October 1993 when the building was occupied by hardline political opponents. He also for days cut the electricity and water to them , [What a Democracy.?].
Imagine That President Bush will order to fire on the Congress because his party became minority and they asking pulling the troups of Iraq !!!!!!!!!!!!!

5. He was Quick to fire Cabinet. Foor example he fired the entire government four times in 1998 and 1999.

6. He have disappointed Russians by bringing them neither peace nor prosperity. Third the population under the poverty line. Homeless and begger everywhere while before him no homeless and no begger. His policy created the the group of . criminals and mafia in there. At the moment there are very few people who have a good word to say about him.

7. Also Russian are saying that He was making Russia look incompetent and weak before the world.

8. He has drinking problem, exhibited most famously when :

i- He was drunk and failed to emerge from his plane for meeting with Ireland's prime minister during a stopover at Shannon airport in 1994, leaving his hosts waiting and waiting.

ii- In Berlin, Mr Yeltsin grabbed a conductor's baton from the leader of a military band and insisted on doing the conducting himself and tried to sing along with the orchestra.

iii- there were occasions when he stumbled off planes drunk and the official were waiting to welcome him down four hours.

iv- Yeltsin during a picnic on a boat steaming down the Volga ordered his border guards to toss his spokesman into the cold river.

v. He harresd secretary girls and television cameras caught him at a 1995 meeting with foreign correspondents playfully tweaking the backside of a secretary.

vi- Never restricted with the rigid protocol required for high-level meetings, Yeltsin frequently say — or do exactly what came to mind

Yeah Boris Yelstin was known more for his freak nature than his presidency. But one thing I always wonder. Does Russia realy have democracy. We have only seen two Preesidents. They rule like dictators. There doesnt seem to be an effective opposition. And they are contemplating amending the constitution to give Putin another term. I ask where is the Democracy.

Kasm, the format of your post is crazy. Who writes biographies in lists?

I think Yeltsin was just the sort of president to end the cautious hostility of the Cold War era, from Khrushchev to Brezhnev. He was a very open person, a bit bumbling, but at least he put a stop to that ridiculous circuitous foreign policy that the Cold War epitomized. It's true that Russia has had a hard time with leadership, and the economy, but that's dated further back than even Khrushchev or Stalin. Russia has been in poverty since the time of the tsars, and three disastrous wars, and the threat of a fourth -- the Cold War -- would just about shut down any economy that was in action. However, Russia is steadily making progress. I don't agree with Putin's policies much; he seems very polarizing, and people naturally still look upon him as the former head of the KGB, and use that to characterize his rule. However, as with all authoritative governments, change will come. Frankly, as long as we stop invading countries and throwing a giant monkey wrench in the reform process, change will have to come. I can't wait for the next round of elections (worldwide) so we can see some new faces -- and better policies -- when we turn on the TV at night. First France, then America, then Britain, eventually Russia and Iran. 2008 is going to be a blast for blogging