Structural aspects of Russian philosophy include intermittence and weakness of autonomous development, disruption of intellectual attention fi eld, reproduction of antagonism between “native” (patriotic) and “provincial” (Western-oriented) traditions, permanent peripherality. These features are explained on the basis of intellectual networks theory by Randall Collins and dynamical models of Russian historical cycles. The conditions are discussed under which the given structural features of Russian philosophy transform into their opposites: the integrity of intellectual attention field, consistent deployment of ideas, independent development, successful inclusion into Western and world philosophy, sober assessment of the role and importance of own philosophical tradition.