Russia experiences “the maintenance of federalism”: although all groups of the society admit the absence of de facto federalism, the “diagnosis” is still being kept and the country is called a federation. One of the reasons for such state of affairs is likely to be the fact that as a tool of public “construction”, federalism is treated by governing authorities and by society as a progressive phenomenon. However, this attitude is due to feelings rather that to mental analysis. When it comes to practical realization of federalism in the way it has been implemented in other federations, various fears (the threat of separatism and nationalism in regions, the country’s falling apart) arise in Russian governing elite, in society as a whole and in its most educated part – scientific community.