By the time of his resignation at the end of 1999, both Yeltsin and his country were in many ways shadows of their former formidable selves. What has been created over the decades cannot be undone in a day. Nor even, perhaps, in decades. Russia's problems today are enormous. Billions of dollars in Western aid have been unable to stabilize and stimulate the economy.
Separatist tensions continue to simmer.
Crime and corruption dog the effective function of both the public and private sectors. But bigger questions remain about whether he, unlike his predecessors, will be able to successfully push through the sweeping reforms of economy, bureaucracy and judiciary the country needs. Man with a Mission Vladimir Putin wants to restore his country's power and prestige.