Attempts to establish whether there is middle class in today's Russia and, if so, which social groups represent it, are similar, from the author's point of view, to the search for a mythical being - Nessie, for instance. Historical excursus taken up by A.Yu.Shankina, brings her to the conclusion that even before the October revolution there was no middle class in Russia, in view of the absence of due prerequisites for its formation. Meanwhile contemporary approaches to social stratification have grown considerably more complicated and division into classes has lost its former topicality. At any rate, no scientific instrument fit for finding out middle class in Russia has been worked out as yet, the author holds.