In the author’s opinion, the elections to the State Duma, that were held in December 2003, brought out crisis of Russia’s party system. It was specific particulars of the said system’s formation — they are discussed in the article — that led to the crisis. Narrowness of the socio-political functions that political parties had been carrying out, is emphasized by the author. The effect is analyzed, which the legal novations of the recent years, the policy of “strengthening the power vertical”, had on them. Particulars of the election campaign are characterized, including peculiarities of making use of administrative resource. The reasons of the main election participants’ successes and failures are investigated in a comprehensive manner, their eventual consequences discussed — degradation of political parties and, as far as that goes, of pluralism in politics.