. >> think the soviet union ended when it did because yeltsin pulled it right out from under gorbachev. >> if there was no soviet union he had no job. >> i personally think that put is an transitional episode it won't lead to some restoration of totalitarian or some person innocent aocracy, it is going to fade. >> what was the casualty of events we celebrate 20 years ago was not only the freeing of eastern europe and the end of the viet union but it was the death of communism and the end of communism as an ideoly. >> rose: i look at russia's past, present and future next. funding for charlie rose was provided by the following. >> every story needs a hero we can all root for. who beats the odds and comes out on top. but this isn't just a hollywood storyline, it is happening every day all across america. every time a storefront opens, or the midnight oil is burned or when someone chase as dream, not just a dollar. they are small business owners, so if you want to root for a real hero, support small business, shop small. >> rose: additional funding provided by these funders. >> and by blo

this is the historical whitehall of the parliament yeltsin came here and. the late summer of one thousand nine hundred ninety one to declare recognition of the three baltic republics yeltsin said here flanked by the chairmen of their parliaments garman off represented latvia last release from lithuania in oriental from a store near yeltsin made a speech here he signed three treaties with the baltic states. estonian historian mark lara began his struggle for his country's independence in the mid 1980's they organized and took part in numerous acts of protest. the most high profile of them was the famous both take away. on august twenty third one thousand nine hundred nine people in the three soviet baltic republics of lithuania latvia and the stonier formed a six hundred kilometer human chain linking the three capitals. and reserve a new i began my struggle against communism when i was still a college student at the same time i campaigned for a stony as independence which was a logical thing to do and if not we had lost our freedom as a result of a pact betw

go gaidar interesting event we've discussed what i was russia and tiring to listen is it true that yeltsin when you met him in ninety one was ready to offer you any job any salary if you stayed in russia but you but you but you chose to go to poland is that true i thought this was just supposed very polite way of expressing his appreciation so literally speaking to said but i never considered this to be more than just a very kind. kind words that certainly we have. imported an interesting conversation. he was at the time in citizen and person. and he asked me what is going to be in phase. and i bought in russia wants to liberalize potent high again for cost that not. theirs was the polish experience though. and says. the former polish deputy prime minister spotlight will be back shortly we'll continue this interview after the short breaks out don't go away stay with us. wealthy british style sign it's time to explain the. market. has come to. find out what's really happening to the global economy with mike stronger for a no holds barred look at the global financial headlines kinds a report

the contrary in guiders russia you said you followed by those reforms and you met a guy there and yeltsin gorbachev and the others reformers led to lead russia to the biggest economic slump since world war two so what was the reason the the difference in the initial conditions of the reforms or the methods or maybe something else but i think it's a mistake to blame kayla's reforms for this recession because a recession was due to documentation of problems under communism distorted economy a bad the standard the nina many people have been have to feel nostalgia for these all ties by this old place could not pay it was a collapsing economy first second as they are the knowledge that they have in poland possibilities to introduce more reforms russia initially saw always having to do small treatment. economist with problems regular sick patients so you need a treatment if you introduce less treatment and have less effects of certain diseases or problems. and why why did you have this possibility which go there because the country's big words were it was a. huge problem in russia and there was

gaidar interesting event we've discussed what i was russia and then during to listen is it true that yeltsin when you met him in ninety one was ready to offer you any job any salary if you only stayed in russia but you but you but you chose to go to poland is that true i thought this was just supposed very polite way of expressing his appreciation so little respect he said but i never considered this to be more than just a very kind. kind words that certainly we have. imported an interesting conversation. he was at the time in the city as my own person. and he asked me what is going to be in phase. and i bought in russia wants to liberalize i remember i told them higher than forecast that. theirs was the polish experience though. and says a last. ditch the form of polish deputy prime minister spotlight will be back shortly we'll continue this insidious after the short break sound don't go away stay with us. this was a city. of about one hundred ninety thousand people and we had eighty thousand people working for general motors. or a job that depended on general motors. general motors is if i

you go gaidar interest the man we've discussed but i was russia entering to listen is it true that yeltsin when you met him in ninety one was ready to offer you any job any salary if you only stayed in russia but you but you but you chose to go to poland. i thought this was just a polite way of expressing his appreciation so little respect and said but i never considered this to be more than just a very kind. trying for words that certainly we have. imported the interesting conversation. he was at the time in the city. it is my purse and he asked me what is going to be in facial i bought in russia i want your little eyes i remember i told them higher than for cost that not. theirs was the polish experience the. kind that says a lesser by the former polish deputy prime minister spotlight we'll be back shortly we'll continue this insidious awfully short great sound don't go away stay with us . this was a city. of about one hundred ninety thousand people here he thousand people working for general motors. or drug dependent and general motors. general motors says if it's not relations you it m

you know just to be above the party is the old czarist model basically isn't it and unfortunately yeltsin do the same thing when he was there he always said oh i mean at the same time gentlemen maybe even you can agree or disagree for you should be part of the party but there is a multi-party system here i mean you can vote for the communist if you want to ok you can vote yes on the right is ok there is a choice of the guys the only that's the only party that's not depend on the kremlin the fact is all other parties depend in some ways on the kremlin and what you really need in addition to a multi-party system is strong institution across the country russia has a strong central state and incredibly weak institutions in the rest of the country those need to be strengthened. here here's the thing about the last two years under a good bit of. introduced a different tone and sometimes even so little accused talking differently and that he gave rise to a lot of hopes and you know even in the bureaucracy and in academia camps for and over the last couple of years especially. even if it wasn't s

russia needs perhaps another generation before you get the system because if you think back to the yeltsin era you're listening children mooted trying to set up a two party system based on the american system under sailed. one party dominated you could really have two parties competing for power in russia at present the trend is one party and anybody who is anybody anybody who's economic wants to be in that party and if that is the case then no other party really can challenge for power against nasser russia's foreign policy dmitri medvedev has a say called reset carry on with washington likely to keep supporting that. well he will because he i think he views the united states as declining power the united states britain is in the situation of really paralysis obama is looking forward to the presidential elections next year and foreign policy is secondary therefore russia would be in a strong position they would say we have a strong leader the united states needs a strong leader the leadership in america is weak therefore can we reach some deal and so on the russians really think of puttin

summer of one thousand nine hundred one to declare recognition of the three baltic republics with yeltsin said here flanked by the chairman of their parliaments government off represented latvia. from lithuania in early chill from a store nia he also made a speech here he signed three treaties with the baltic states. estonian historian mark lara began his struggle for his country's independence in the mid 1980's he organized intraparty numerous acts of protest. the most high profile of them was the famous both that way. on august the twenty third one thousand eight hundred nine people in the three soviet baltic republics of lithuania latvia and the stonier formed a six hundred kilometer human chain link in the three capitals. on the reserve and you and i began my struggle against communism when i was still a college student at the same time i campaigned for a stony as independence which was a logical thing to do even if not we had lost our freedom as a result of a pact between two regimes that ism and communism. as a staunch opponent of communism model our twice held the post of premier a

next to put the spotlight on a key figure in the yeltsin administration has now had of the russian national technology corporation we ask about the secret of a successful innovation economy. hello again and welcome to the spotlight the interview show on r.t. i am and my guest on the show today is not totally true parts over the last few years russia has invested billions of dollars into the now that's acknowledging something in the visible something very small but something that's considered to be a very promising take and then a technology is an industry that's said to be bringing russia out of the oil and gas r.e.m. to technology into the twenty first century high tech type of economy but many people say that it's a waste of taxpayers' money since you can buy anything now and local supermarkets so is now the technology really something that will help modernize the russian economy the man who knows this and the tele. the head of ross now know the russian cooperation in dealing with them. on years ago then present president putin but not a college as a scientific study of the highest priori

next we put the spotlight on a key figure and the yeltsin administration has now had of the russian national technology corp we ask about the secret of a successful innovation economy. and welcome to spotlight the interview. i am. and my guest on the show today is. over the last few years russia has invested billions of dollars into the technology something invisible something very small but something that's considered to be a very promising take nanotechnology is an industry that's said to be bringing out the oil and gas are. the twenty first century high tech. but many people say that it's a waste of taxpayers' money since you can buy anything that. supermarkets so is. something that will help modernize. the man who is and the tele. the head of the russian corporation dealing with than a. bunch of years ago then present for them to putin but not to college is a scientific study of the highest priority since then dozens of projects have to top. ten billion dollars of by the state of private investment to coordinated force of the. corporation that was created its c.e.o. is one of the most ex

and today in the studio it's russian politician on a totally true bond as a key figure in the boris yeltsin administration is now head of the russian nanotechnology corporation host no fast same about how to great in the economy spotlight is up next. spotlight the interview. and my guest today is. over the last few years russia has invested billions of dollars into the knowledge of something invisible something very small but something that's considered to be a very promising take nanotechnology is an industry that's said to be bringing russia out of the oil and gas are. the twenty first century. but many people say that it's a waste of taxpayers' money since. anything that. supermarkets so is. something that will help modernize. the man who is and the tele. the head of the russian corporation dealing with nano. years ago then present for them to putin but a knowledge of college is a scientific study of the highest priority since then dozens of projects have kicked off some billion dollars of by the state of private investment to coordinated force of the. corporation was created its c.e.o.

disappointing thing really is that russia is still very reactive in its foreign policy i mean under yeltsin it was very much during the west's bidding and certainly under putin it's now become less predictable and more nationalistic and that's fine from the russian point of view but they're still negative i think on syria they don't want sanctions on iran they're want sanctions but they're not really taking initiatives what do you do about iran what do you do about syria on the palestinian issue which is so popular this week why wasn't there russia didn't take a strong initiative and said they really support the palestinians and it's time to grow i don't know jonathan the russians in place of turning this palestinians for twenty years in the new russia very very firmly mr medvedev even went to ramallah and said that he supports statehood that was a few months ago i would say russia's foreign policy is extremely you in fact is very very conservative not reactive what do you think about that adrian do you think that the in the capitals of europe they're going to be happy to see mr putin back

his candidacy by president boris yeltsin there was an election in russia and like him or putin watt inverter lection into the thousand for he was relaxed as the president and dimitri medvedev joined he's the so-called cyprus for a team. in two thousand and five he became russia's for a steady prime minister after a very successful academic career and benteke was largely tasked with overseeing the major modernization and reforms program in russia in two thousand and december two thousand and seven at a similar united russia convention putin may first tense about the policy of what he kind of it for russia's next presidential term and it was an informal backing informal backing of the mission but that it has a future president because of these massive support which was that his popularity significantly he won the presidential election in two thousand and eight ever since he's made it has been a wife of modernization program also he introduced some major changes to russia's constitution such as enlarging the presidential term from four to six years so if you have him or putin. the presidential

eagle on the russian flag is not only an ambulance in the two thousand presidential vote after boris yeltsin left office and putin was named his successor it was dmitri medvedev who managed his complaint but the world would first hear about it but if five years later when he became first deputy prime minister the same year an implantable business magazine in russia would name him the man of the year overseeing national priority projects with a painted his vision pour years to come away from a resource economy modernize the country get rid of corruption all these would later be put together in his manifesto goal russia in december two thousand and seven jury in a similar united russia convention was in formally indorsed as a candidate for the country's top job and this time it was putin who delivered his successor as successful campaign he's a poor student who got its popularity seventy percent of the vote and in march two thousand and eight it was elected president widely regarded as more liberal than his predecessor his term would be remembered for reforms in the digital system and law enfo

their responsibility you know russian politicians maybe some very very emotional people for example yeltsin but as a journalist i worked with all of them in or. in any sense they were all tough managers very tough effective managers but all functioning properly production imperfectly is one way of putting it but and they did have us also into modernizing i mean that's he wants to improve what he sees can be improved in terms of modernizing he says he wants to do the same with a cabinet what kind of changes do you think this means. i interviewed several political analysts to be on the show and all of them said there are several ministers inside the government when all of them who are deeply unpopular so a lot of people a lot of people expect them to be. one of these people who when said why there's a bit of second before the election that would probably raise years ratings. well you know every minister in russia has behind him a huge team and lots of private interests so it's not so easy as one might imagine but in general during his presidency i'm a bit of has shown himself to be a war. how

the government of the communist era it was developing then it which a greater proportion is under yeltsin and since then you have the elites the business elites who can in fact buy influence. they're the ones who make sure that they have the they retain the power. they are strafing small and medium scale business because they don't want competition and if somebody falls out of the kremlin the cracks police can be used against us so therefore your situation is very very difficult to extirpate corruption or to listen corruption we did you did this best many fine speeches and so on. but the net result i don't think it's very great it's a great challenge now for russia for putin to try and reduce corruption trying to get the country more efficient because corruption efficiency of the country to reduce that he's a strong man he's got the power because somebody else had to implement his decision . and as a people including the three hundred in favor of reducing corruption it's very very difficult for the president or the president to do that ok the callie i rushed past exasperate london many th

well just a quick reminder about how he made it to the office in two thousand that president boris yeltsin handed the position to putin russia saw an early presidential election and. two terms as the country's president dmitri medvedev started his career he took on academical korea he graduated from the law department of the stanford as part of university he even considered to go into the prosecutor's office for than pay chose a political career one of his professors was a democratic politician and he recruited me to the vet if you join politics as well and says ninety nine. that is has been part of the so-called sampras berke team. we cheer was later recruited by vladimir putin to come to moscow and do politics together so for a very long time now for over ten years. i have been there working very closely so it's understandable why the two are being referred to as that tandem because the poor sweet chess country. is being provided by the fact that the two have coupled up as a team as a political team as political associates so week question now really is not who's going to be the presiden

his candidacy by president boris yeltsin that was an early election in russia and vladimir putin won in that election in two thousand and four he was reelected as the president and dimitri medvedev joined he's the so-called cypress team. in two thousand and five he became russia's president the prime minister after a very successful academic career and measurement that it was largely tasked with overseeing the major modernization and reforms program in russia in two thousand in the summer of two thousand and seven at a similar united russia convention putin made first hence a vote that he followed of what he counted toward russia as the next presidential term and it was an informal backing informal backing of the vision that bet it as a future president and because of these massive support which boosted his popularity significantly he mentioned very one the presidential election in two thousand and eight ever since his major trend has been why modernization program also introduced some major changes to russia's constitution such as enlarging the presidential term front porches six ye