Boris Yeltsin became Russia's first president and democratically elected leader in 1991. The darling of the West, to many he appeared as a revolutionary who had brought freedom to the world's largest nation after 70 years of communist dictatorship. Yet by the time he left office he was deeply unpopular, having disappointed both his people and his Western backers. Author: AlJazeeraEnglish Keywords: al jazeera aljazeera Boris Yeltsin Russia Added: February 12, 2008
