The article is devoted to analysis of peculiarities in forming and promoting Russian and international innovation clusters. Cluster's orientation to innovation is its significant feature: cluster approach is fully realized in many countries all over the world, because it is the cluster frames which increase opportunity of creating a unique innovation idea, together with speed and effectiveness of commercialization process. Innovation potential, sufficiency of productional and distributional facilities, long-term management strategy, optimization of external and internal cluster connections are key features to provide competitive advantages of the innovation cluster. In the article key principals of innovation cluster formation in the leading states are considered: the core of cluster is predominantly a scientific research center or higher institution, with large and small industrial companies as the cluster participants, with significant governmental support. In the article the main tendencies of innovation cluster international development are underlined: companies' efforts to increase competitiveness on basis of vertical integration; horizontal integration as an attempt to decrease production costs through specialization improvement; conglomerate consolidation to take down risks through diversification; growth of transnational innovation clusters of the largest industrial companies to gain point on the global market. Measures of forming efforts to effective promotion of innovation clusters on international markets are interaction of companies with specialized technological platforms, participation in federal and regional events to stimulate research and development activity; realization of permanent comparative analysis with leading foreign practices under key factors of development, and formation of innovation ecosystem, including business-incubators, accelerators, venture funds, personnel education and technological enterpreneurship in frames of cluster.