Yeltsin bows out disgracefully

Boris Yeltsin (for once nearly sober) with his glamorous young wife Naina Yeltsin and his aide Shevchenko welcomed 300 guests in the Malachite Reception-Room of the Kremlin on February 1st . From the Malachite Hall, they moved on the Alexandrovsky hall, where champagne and juice were served, and further to Adreevsky Hall to listen to a pop concert at which the then not so sober ex Premier danced (see pic).

Apart from Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, who had actually insisted on the Kremlin celebration, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko and Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev, the Event lured former president of the United States Bill Clinton, former chancellor of Germany Helmut Kohl, former president of Ukraine Leonid Kuchma, former president of Kyrgyzstan Askar Akaev. The celebration was not ignored by the business elite of Russia with Vagit Alekperov, Roman Abramovich, Oleg Deripaska easily spotted among the guests. The sport community was represented by Shamil Tarpishchev, Evgeny Kafelnikov, Marat Safin. Russia’s famous stage director Galina Volchek, violoncellist Mstislav Rostropovich, literature expert Marietta Chudakova, actor Oleg Basilashvili stood for the art, not to mention the pop stars involved in the concert.

“Thank you… thank you that there are people in this hall, who love me or hate me at least,” Yeltsin said. There were many, many in the hall who should have thanked him for the way he allowed them to loot the riches of Russia.