Russia as a national state: discussions and experts’ forecasts

The article is devoted to the analysis of the points of view of leading Russian experts on the definition of Russia as a national state. Special attention is paid to the analysis of the understanding and the definition of nation in Russia because nation is a central component in the definition of a national state. Basing on the analysis of leading opinions, the author concludes that Russia can be defined as a national state though its characteristics may differ from characteristics of other national societies due to a number of factors, including the historical, political, cultural characteristics and traditions.