Let me get this straight, this guy needs to be remembered for playing a key part in the mass looting of Russia by neo-liberalizers! This were the Dark Days for Russia and I am not even Russian.

Guess the connection between himself and the Oligarchs?

I agree with you Johnx the link between this man and the the Russian Oligarchs. However, it seems that RT cannot see irony on its own false shock with the fact that Ben Bernanke, the head of the United States Reserve has been named man of the year in Time Magazine as RT runs number of pieces in celebration of a man who brought worst fate the people of Russia. I wondered if RT editors see the is blatant contradiction! In reality, Yegor Gaider and selective band of oligarchs brought a disaster which resulted the death of millions of Russians were the same cannpt be said of Ben Bernanke. There is in fact something obscene about the lack of serious and judicious reflections of the mass looting of the Russian people supported by the policies of this economist that gave rise to the moral corrupt and greedy Russia's oligarchs. http://rt.com/Top_News/2009-12-17/us-food-homeless-bernanke.html

Dear Sarah! Why do you believe that the "same cannot be said of Ben Bernanke"? While the US business community applauds the actions of this individual, his "brave decision" to pump untold trillion of US dollars into banks and dying companies (GM, for example, and Lehman Brothers) is nothing more than a case of socialism for the rich, capitalism for the poor. On top of the complete mismanagement of the banks and investment houses, the US Federal Reserve, which is a separate animal from the US government (a PRIVATE company), wants MORE powers to control the printing of money, set interest rates, and loan trillions of dollars around the world WITHOUT ANY ACCOUNTABILITY FROM THE US CONGRESS!!!. This does not require genius. But it does require something bordering on the verge of treason. Read some comments by Ron Paul if you want the full story on the damage that this man, and the institution he runs, is doing. And let's not forget, please, Hitler also won Time's Man of the Year award.

Sid Cosby, Do not got me wrong but the Russian Oligarchy have committed subtle but real genocide against the Russian people. They are truly sick and I wish Putin can place all of them behind bars and confiscated their ill gotten money. To be sure, Ben Barnanke and the rest of the Wall Street Oligarchs will bring the American society down but the Russian oligarchs have committed profound crime against the Russian people. They are truly sick.

Sarah and Jonhx, I am in complete agreement with your views. According to Gorbachov one trillion dollars in cash were taken out of Russia during the Yeltsin years by the Oligarchs. A lot of them are happily ensconsed in Mayfair (London). There are still some in Russia. Consider that Abramovich has just bought himself a super yacht at the tune of 400B$. He had three others. No, these individuals are responsible for the destruction of the living standards of Russia. They have still not recovered. The poverty percentages are still huge. V Putin has partly restored some control in the economy.The sorry tale can be found in Chrystia Freeland's "Sale of the Cenrury". She works for the FT. I cannot feel sorry for people who pauperized 40% of Russsia and destroyed its social services.