In came Boris Fedorov, a former finance minister and one of Russia's toughest and most buoyant reformers.

ECONOMIST: Can Russia fight back?

One of its leading lights, Boris Fedorov, a former finance minister with strong free-market views, has abruptly left.

ECONOMIST: Russia��s political battle looms | The

That brought instant criticism from Boris Fedorov, a former finance minister turned fiduciary gadfly, who sits on the board.

ECONOMIST: Gassing away at Gazprom

Boris Fedorov, currently in charge of the tax system and much liked by the West, has already been promoted.

ECONOMIST: Russia��s nightmare

Boris Fedorov, a colleague who later became finance minister, recalls the modesty of his accommodation: a cramped, run-down communal flat.

ECONOMIST: Russia��s Putin puzzle

Boris Fedorov, a prominent champion of better corporate governance in Russia's biggest companies, and one of Sberbank's independent directors, believes that the move is mistimed.

ECONOMIST: Cash in your chips