Title: Ex-Russian Leader Boris Yeltsin Dies - CBS News
Headings: Ex-Russian Leader Boris Yeltsin Dies
Ex-Russian Leader Boris Yeltsin Dies
Content: Viktor Chernomyrdin, one of his prime ministers, said Monday that Yeltsin's health never recovered from the stress of trying to steer Russia through some of its darkest hours. "Yeltsin headed the country during the most difficult time and it could not but affect the health of even such a strong man," said Chernomyrdin, now Russia's ambassador to Ukraine. Admirers contend that it was the trauma of the USSR's death throes, not Yeltsin's leadership, that brought Russia to the brink. "If not for the strong will of Boris Nikolayevich, we cannot rule out that after Gorbachev, Russia could have plunged — for many, many years or even decades — into civil war," said Vyacheslav Kostikov, a former Yeltsin press secretary. In the final years of his presidency, Yeltsin was dogged by health problems and often seemed out of touch. He retreated regularly to his country residence outside Moscow and stayed away from the Kremlin for days, even weeks at a time. As the country stumbled from crisis to crisis, its leader appeared increasingly absent. Yet Yeltsin's debut as Russian president was stunning. He laid the foundation for what many hoped would later become a modern democracy — guaranteeing the rights to free speech, private property, multiparty elections, and opening the borders to trade and travel. Though full of bluster, he revealed more of his personal life and private doubts than any previous Russian leader.