Medvedev's legacy in Russia: small victories in Putin's shadows

By Fred Weir

Despite making little headway on corruption or human rights, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev did change Russia. 'The ice began to melt and Putin won't be able to refreeze it,' said one expert.

Liberals, democracy activists, and human rights monitors have complained repeatedly that Medvedev's promises of reform rarely seem to materialize. But some experts say that Medvedev is being judged too harshly, and that the still-vague democratic reforms he initiated after massive public protests against electoral fraud exploded in December may yet salvage his reputation.

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