Common features, as well as the differences, of the regional political processes respectively in the Ukraine and in Russia, are singled out in the article. In the author’s opinion, the regional factor plays essential, though dissimilar role in the two states. In Russia, the leaders of the regions are elected by the population and therefore regional elite here has managed to consolidate its political positions to a greater extent as compared to the elite of the same level in the Ukraine, where the heads of the regional administration are appointed by the president of the country. But in the Ukraine, stability of the strong power vertical coexists with instability of power within this or that region, for the regional radas (legislatures) and the elected city and town heads (leaders of the local administration organs) successfully compete with the regional governors. According to the author’s prognosis, however, the political processes in Russia and in the Ukraine, respectively, will be getting more similar.