In the article, with neoinstitutional methodology applied, transformations of political institutions within last century and a half in Russia are compared. Analysis of empirical data corroborates the hypothesis that following the “importation of institutions” the development trajectory considerably depends on correlation of the imported formal institutions with the historically established informal foundations. The author comes to the conclusion that given there is a certain (even if small) degree of congruence, the trajectory of future institutional development of Russia is not at all predetermined. If the country proves able to avoid political cataclysm, it will retain a prospect of gradual adaptation and consolidation of democratic institutions by means of “synthesis” or “postponed importation”, but within whatever scenario this will be a protracted and contradictory process.