The passing of Boris Yeltsin has stirred up old debates about what role the first president of Russia played in the history of the country. Some say that Russia owes him freedom and democracy, others hold him responsible for chaos, corruption and the omnipotence of the oligarchs. Some admire the breadth of his nature, while others are indignant at the power of the “Family”. His era is called a decade of missed opportunities, a time of great hopes and disappointments. But is Yeltsin alone to blame for the fact that our aspirations did not come true? Leonid Mlechin's new book is about this.