Direct democracy as a form of the local government implementation

The author covers the historical, organizational and legal basis of the institute of direct democracy at the local level in Russia, since 1864 when the imperial government carried out the reform of a territorial and municipal government up to adoption of the federal law «On the general principles of the organization of local government in the Russian Federation». The author analyzes provisions of a number of regulations and opinions of famous scientists-jurists. After October revolution of 1917 the idea of local government proceeding from the principle of decentralization of local management was rejected. At the same time during the Soviet period there was a certain expansion of forms of direct democracy at the local level. Elections to Councils of worker’s, soldier's and peasant’s deputies became widespread and had a universal distribution.