Analyzing the process of the formation of civil society in Russia, the author points out its having been essentially influenced by the “catching-up” character of Russian modernization. Moreover, the striving for “overtaking and surpassing” the West, which persisted for years and by far survived the revolutionary upheavals, has been quickly bringing up to date the socio-economic structure of society and its institutions, the consequence of which has been accumulation of elements of new quality in the midst of Russian society. However, the patrimonial State, attempting modernization, at the same time sought to preserve the groups that had monopolized power — and that partly explains the inefficacy of the past decade’s reformatory activity. The problems of the current stage of Russia’s economic and socio-political development, the author maintains, can find their solution within a model of systemic renovation, which supposes qualitative changes of the socio-economic conditions, political institutions, production technology, employment structure, and of the character of the external economic activity, as well as cardinal renewal of the ruling elite.