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Comments from my good friend, living near Moscow. I appreciate an average Russian's perspective on issues we American are so quick to form an opinion on, without having hardly any facts, ala LIVs: "Nemtsov was widely liked for his good humor, larger-than-life character and quick wit, but he and other top opposition figures long have been purged from state television and steadily marginalized by the Kremlin." Must be Kremlin propaganda this picture, as well as the fact that all his 7 children from different mothers are studying in London now (London being the home for many of our run-away tycoons) Anyway, this view of events by western media was to be expected, so expected that it does make one wonder if it's not a provocation. Well it's not gonna provoke anything, that's the good thing. I wonder also that, while fearing that Putin may kill him, he was walking in the streets of Moscow at night without bodyguards. Воскресенье, 01 марта 2015, 5:33 -08:00

I think his popularity might have had a chance to change. Nemtsov was very popular until Yeltsin made the government he was in a scapegoat for Russia’s 1998 financial crises. In fact the crises was of course after effect of 1997 Asia financial crises at the time when Russia didn’t have massive oil revenues.

Crude oil averaged $18.64 for 1997 and $11.91 for 1998. There was little that any cabinet could do. (Data is Illinois Crude as I had it at hand, but it is roughly the same for all crude).

Putin on the other hand has rode record oil price boom, but his propaganda is trying to sell it as his genius and governments at the time of low prices being “evil”. I think if oil prices stay where they are then Russian economy is in deep trouble.

Whatever excuses Putin comes up with I suspect they will weaken the arguments behind vilifying the cabinet that had to work with $11.91 oil price.

Got the oil prices from here - http://inflationdata.com/Inflation/Inflation_Rate/Historical_Oil_Prices_Table.asp