The article explores Russians’ understanding of the meaning and goals of the modernization project and shows that, although the process of adopting norms and values characteristic of modern societies is very contradictory in Russia, the country has already moved quite far along the path of socio-cultural modernization. In today’s Russian society, there are no serious axiological and regulatory obstacles to modernization, as evidenced by the place of Russia on the mental map of the world, built using the methods of G. Hofstede and given in the article. The resource of social innovations in Russia is by no means exhausted, and further movement along the path of reforms under certain conditions can be supported by society. The idea of the need for modernization of the country is quite actively supported by the Russians. It is shown what exactly Russians mean by modernization. The main vector of modernization changes the country’s population connects more with the tasks of social modernization, with ensuring equality of all citizens before the law and observance of human rights guaranteed by the Constitution, and not with economic or political transformations. The latter are often seen by the authorities and experts of different political stances as key problems of modernization. The contradictory nature of the emerging values is demonstrated. Achievable motivations and non-conformism are spreading, and the closely related attitudes toward initiative, enterprise, innovation are becoming more and more noticeable. The increasing readiness to accept the law as the main social regulator is revealed, but at the same time Russians are ready to comply with it, if the norms of the law are mandatory for all, and also correspond to their notions of social justice. Despite the contradictory and ambiguous dynamics of the normative and value systems of Russians, in Russian society there is a significant socio-cultural resource for the modernization spurt, and Russians have inherent dynamism and readiness for change. The country has moved far enough over the past one and half decade along the path of socio-cultural modernization. In the course of this process, a part of the norms and values were replaced for Russians by other, often alternative, and another part changed its meaning.

values, sociocultural modernization, cultural change, mentality, Geert Hofstede’s techniques