RUDN Journal of LawRUDN Journal of Law2313-23372408-9001Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia named after Patrice Lumumba (RUDN University)6027Research ArticleLegal aspects of modernisation in RussiaKamkiyaF GFaculty of Lawkafedra-teoria@yandex.ruSochi Institute (branch) of Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia150420124485707092016Copyright © 2016, Legal Science2016This article aims to study processes for modernisation in Russia. In particular, it examines the political and legal culture of political elites in Russia’s history as well as modernisation practices. The author comes to the conclusion that the practice of struggle for human rights in the history of Russian modernisation has not held a leading position. When there have not been sufficiently reliable legal underpinnings (legal institutions) of democratic renewal, the ideas for the renewal of society may not be achieved and, as a rule, inverse processes easily arise. The author draws attention to the specifics of Russia and its culture as pre-requisites for a statist model of modernisation in which the state may and must lead in liberal transformations.legal culturemiddle classadministrative reformjudicial reformsuccessful modernisationsocio-cultural aspects of modernisationthe juridical aspect of modernisationthe subject of modernisationcounter-modernisationtraditionsethnocracycontinuity in a legal systemправовая культурасредний классадминистративная реформасудебная реформауспешная модернизациясоциокультурные аспекты модернизацииюридический аспект модернизациисубъект модернизацииконтрмодернизациятрадицииэтнократияпреемственность правовой системы