The formation of civil society in Russia: forecasts and reality

The authors provide a comparative analysis of the forecasts of the formation of civil society in Russia, presented at the end of the 20th Century, with the social realities of modern Russia. It is noted that a special interest in the phenomenon of civil society took place in Russia in the early 1990s. During this period, forecasts were made regarding the prospects for the formation of the main institutions of civil society. The features of the functioning of political parties, trade unions and other public associations are analyzed. The main forms of manifes-tation of civic activity in modern conditions are considered. It is noted that many forecasts regarding the prospects for the formation of civil society in Russia were made on the basis of the experience of the development of civil society in Western countries. In practice, the process of forming a civil society in Russia is determined by its socio-cultural and political specifics.