Moscow’s Ousted Mayor Leaves a Mixed Legacy
MOSCOW — This capital city was on the brink of collapse when Yuri M. Luzhkov became mayor in 1992, with food shortages, trash-strewn streets and rampant crime. Cigarettes, one of the few luxuries available to the masses in the Soviet era, were in such short supply that Muscovites blockaded the city’s main thoroughfares in protest.
Eighteen years later, as Mr. Luzhkov steps down after being unceremoniously fired on Tuesday by Russia’s president, Dmitri A. Medvedev, he is leaving behind a humming metropolis of skyscrapers, luxury boutiques and traffic jams. Opponents also describe a legacy of corruption and nepotism that has left the mayor and his circle exceedingly rich — and, possibly, disgraced.
The brusque manner in which the mayor was relieved — he reportedly learned of Mr. Medvedev’s decision from the Russian news media — shows just how far he has fallen. All day on Tuesday, even his erstwhile allies fell into line behind the president, turning their backs on a man who was once among the most powerful leaders in Russia....
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Eighteen years later, as Mr. Luzhkov steps down after being unceremoniously fired on Tuesday by Russia’s president, Dmitri A. Medvedev, he is leaving behind a humming metropolis of skyscrapers, luxury boutiques and traffic jams. Opponents also describe a legacy of corruption and nepotism that has left the mayor and his circle exceedingly rich — and, possibly, disgraced.
The brusque manner in which the mayor was relieved — he reportedly learned of Mr. Medvedev’s decision from the Russian news media — shows just how far he has fallen. All day on Tuesday, even his erstwhile allies fell into line behind the president, turning their backs on a man who was once among the most powerful leaders in Russia....