First, thanks to anyone's comments.

@scotcher:

Yes, I quite intentionally enclosed "liberals" in double quotes (as well as "reforms"). That's the term not me, but these guys used to describe themselves. I'm not sure they are right... and I don't care much either. Maybe it's all wrong, but for now in Russia term "liberal" is too much associated with yeltsins, gaydars and chubaises, and too much sounds like a swear word. It's too late to fix now... easier to fix some dictionaries instead

@Zeus:

Claiming Yeltsin is guilty really is oversimplification, but claiming he
is responsible is just Right Thing. Do you deny his responsibility for evens happened?

The President of the state is principially responsible for all things happening in his country. If he can't stand the responsibility, he must resign and free the place for somebody, who suits better to this job. This just the thing Yetsin did... in December 1999. I think, it was first (and, obviously, last) smart thing he did for all 9 years of his presidency.

@TronDD:

Yes, you're right: most of the economic problems of (at these time) Soviet Union started in Gorbachev times. It all started with his economic innovations: "Cooperation", "Joint Ventures", etc. What started with
Gorbachev as "problems" just turned into "catastrophe" in Yeltsin's times. In these sense definitely Yeltsin is true Gorby's successor.

Yes, you're right too: things start to get better in 1998. Actually, "liberal" reforms came to a quite predictable end in august 1998, and then first "anti-liberal" (some even call it "communistic") government of Russia, headed by Yevgeny Primakov and Yuri Maslyukov, was established. They started more or less reasonable economic politics (for first time from 1991), so the results were evident.

However, even Primakov's appointment wasn't much Yeltsin's merit. He was appointed by State Duma decree (and despite serious Yeltsinist's resistance).