YELTSIN’S RUSSIAN LEGACY

In the 1990s, Boris Yeltsin, perhaps best known for standing atop a tank to urge his countrymen to resist a hard-line attempted coup, was the face of democratic reform in Russia. Built on a shaky foundation, that reform has naturally stumbled as it progressed. That progress and some setbacks can be attributed to the charismatic, hard-drinking leader, who died yesterday at age 76.

While Mikhail Gorbachev laid the groundwork for reform in the Soviet Union, it was President Yeltsin, true to his construction roots, who built a new political and economic system to replace communism. President Yeltsin, for example, was highly critical of Mr. Gorbachev for promising democracy but insisting that the Communist Party would have a leading role in politics.

Such criticism increased his popularity with Russians. In the first parliamentary elections with multiple candidates for seats, Boris Yeltsin won strong support from voters. He was chosen by the Soviet Parliament as president of the Russian Republic in 1990. He was elected president of Russia in 1991 in the first contested election for the republic’s leader.

President Yeltsin should be remembered for his courage, says Paul Josephson, an associate professor of history at Colby College. Although some preferred the certainty of the Soviet Union and its centralized economy, President Yeltsin continually stood up to reactionary figures who wanted to roll back reforms. He did this most memorably in August 1991 when he climbed atop a tank in front of the Russian White House to urge the populace to stand up to a coup attempt against Mr. Gorbachev.

Yet, President Yeltsin often ruled with a strong hand, ramming political changes through the parliament. He launched a military operation against the breakaway republic of Chechnya, causing problems that continue to plague Russia today.

President Yeltsin stunned Russians when he announced his resignation on New Year’s Eve 1999, the first leader to give up power on his own. He, however, turned over power to his prime minister, Vladimir Putin, who was elected president in his own right in 2000.

The choice of Mr. Putin, a former spy, remains puzzling, said Professor Josephson. Personally and politically, the men were opposites. President Yeltsin was known as a heavy drinker; President Putin is a teetotaler. While President Yeltsin championed political and economic freedom, President Putin has restricted the media and nongovernmental organizations.

On the eve of his resignation, President Yeltsin said: “Russia will never return to the past. Russia will now always be moving forward.” Like his political career, the movement is forward, although often haltingly and with unexpected detours.