01004naa#a2200169#i#450# EN\\bibl\86977 20250806145355.3 2074-8183 20090625b2009####ek#y0engy0150####ca RUS RU The article gives the concept, state-legal characteristics and types of federalism and federation. The author examines the essence of federalism and federation, the elements of constitutional legal status of the subjects of federation, and comes to a conclusion that it is impossible for Russia to understand a federative state as a certain «union». The Russian state has never been a union of sovereign (in the past) states and therefore, the Russian Federation should be perceived from the position of political territorial organization as a complex state Journal article Volgograd Volgograd Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia 2009 5 с. Journal article local va-mvd.editorum.ru