Russian social policy in the recent years: between the way already passed and yet uncertain future

Abstract

The processes of social policy transformation in Russia since early 1990s up to now have led to contradictory changes of the state, economy and civil society. The nature of social policy was spontaneous and non)systemic with paternalistic elements despite of the efforts to make it selective / means)tested. The attempts to neutralize the social un) rest have constantly delayed, while the concept of concensual development of the state, society and economy, not adopted from the West but understandable for the Russian people, yet was not offered to the population.