The article is devoted to the 25th anniversary of re-creation of local self-governance in modern Russia. It sets out the hypothesis for future research on the status of local government, providing the key indicators which may enable the research work. Such parameters include the shape of the legal system regulating the local government, the economic situation of municipalities, the attitude of common citizens and the ruling elite to the local governance. The analysis is carried out for the period of 1989 through 2013. The alleged findings are provided.

The article is devoted to the 25th anniversary of re-creation of local self-governance in modern Russia. It sets out the hypothesis for future research on the status of local government, providing the key indicators which may enable the research work. Such parameters include the shape of the legal system regulating the local government, the economic situation of municipalities, the attitude of common citizens and the ruling elite to the local governance. The analysis is carried out for the period of 1989 through 2013. The alleged findings are provided.