DECEMBER16 IS THE MEMORIAL DAY OF YEGOR TIMUROVICH GAIDAR

On this day, friends and relatives of Yegor Timurovich meet to honor his memory, to remember the time they spent together. Thus, Dmitry Travin, an economist from St. Petersburg, wrote:

“Today is the day of memory of Yegor Gaidar. He has died on December 16, 2009. On this day I always remember the Gaidar’s reforms.

”Gaidar has been much criticized for compromises, for failing to build the market described in liberal fantasies, which everyone liked (me, too, of course), rather, he built the market that could be built under the pressure of a variety of interest groups. Pressure coming from above (from Yeltsin), from the side (from the red directors or nascent oligarchs), and from below (from the broad popular masses who wanted state paternalism). Uncompromising heroes are always loved, while people prone to compromise are always criticized. Therefore, alas, Gaidar will be criticized even further. He will not become a hero in the textbooks of our history. However, one way or another, he will be part of the future academic studies of our era as a reformer who was able to do at least something under the most severe restrictions.

This “at least something” means a lot for myself, while for someone else it is not much. However, such difference of opinion is not so important now. I believe that it is critical that future generations reforming Russia clearly distinguish real action and real policy from catchy phrases that sound good, but do not lead to reforms.”