ECURRENT STATUS OF THE SUBJECTS OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

The article is devoted to one of the most important issues in the studies of federalism the question of the status of the subjects of the Russian Federation. The article explores the traits that determine the originality of Russia, which became in many respects one of the most active regions of our time. The authors examine the genesis of the legal, economic, and ethnic relations in the process of forming a federal state. The material is based on problem-analytical approach to Russia and the Eastern European region, using historical aspects to characterize the peculiarities of some countries over the last 15-20 years. Using historical, comparative and functional methods, the authors define the regularities of the influence of the principle of self-determination of nations on the mechanism of the existence of a federal state. The authors hope that this research will in some way contribute to the development of a more coherent and the concept of development of Russia and its regions.