The paper is built on the data of all-Russian surveys carried out in recent few years by the Institute of sociology, Russian academy of sciences focusing on middle class dynamics, its place in the societal structure, its identification features, dominant position in it of the lower middle class layer caused by professional structure of Russia’s economy. Also, way of life and consumption preferences of this class as well as eventual scope and pre-conditions for its growth is discussed.

 

middle class; middle strata; social structure; social stratification; styles of life; identities; consumption standards