To continue acquainting our reader with the report of the Institute of Sociology, directed by M.Gorshkov, we have singled out in this issue the axiological subjects: «Particular features of Russians’ vital values and aspirations» and «Democratic values in the structure of Russians’ mass consciousness».The results of the research demonstrate: the perception by Russians of the normative model of democracy and of its basic value constituents little differs from what is observed in the so-called developed democracies. This has resulted in the fact that the democratic values, so far as the major part of the population is concerned, have not transformed into behavioral orientations.