policy of glasnost, ustured in new era of openness with the west, and under another of his policies, peresta attempted to navigate his country's communist economy into a new era of capitalism. by 1991, peter was failing and along came the new russian state's first president boris yelson. this documentary tells the story of the eight years yeltson's leadership under russia's attempted transition from communism to capitalism. it is an often tragic story of fall of once vowed superpower, the hardships of millions of ordinary people and the rise of new breed of ultra rich oligarks. it is also the story of how has become the state it is today.