The manual examines the main events in the life of Russian society in Soviet times and in the post-perestroika years. The content and structure of the manual facilitate the rapid assimilation of the material. When compiling the manual, the latest achievements of historiography were used, it contains rich statistical material. A number of subjects are covered (standard of living, social and demographic characteristics, position of the army), rarely considered in educational literature. The book is intended for schoolchildren, students and everyone interested in Russian history. The author is a doctor of historical sciences, professor of the Russian State Pedagogical University named after A.I. Herzen and the European University in St. Petersburg.