The welfare state in modern Russia: theoretical, historical and legal analysis

Relevance. In the context of dynamic socio-economic transformations and globalization, the role of the welfare state in Russia is becoming particularly important as a guarantor of social justice and sustainable development of society. Despite the consolidation of the status of a welfare state in the Constitution of the Russian Federation, there is no unified understanding of its essence and implementation mechanisms in Russian legal science and practice, which requires a deep theoretical, legal and historical analysis.

The purpose of the research is to systematize and analyze the main theoretical approaches to understanding the welfare state, to determine its essence in modern Russia through the prism of social justice and social policy, as well as to identify the features of its formation and implementation in the historical and legal context.

Objectives: to form a comprehensive definition of the welfare state, taking into account constitutional provisions, historical experience and modern social realities; to substantiate the role of social policy as a key instrument for the implementation of social obligations of the state and mechanisms for ensuring social justice.

Methodology. To achieve the purpose of the work, the methods of theoretical-legal and historical-legal analysis, the comparative-legal method, as well as a systematic integrated approach to the study of legal institutions were used.

Results. The multifaceted nature of the welfare state, including formal, legal and practical levels, is revealed. The key functions of social policy are defined: protective, regulatory, redistributive, preventive and integration. The article traces the evolution of the institution of the welfare state in Russia from a passive and institutional model to a more active one, taking into account the influence of the Soviet experience and modern challenges. The role of judicial practice in protecting the social rights of citizens is noted. A comparative analysis with foreign models of the welfare state is carried out.

Conclusion. The welfare state in Russia is a complex institution that is being formed under the influence of historical, legal, and socio-economic factors. To ensure social justice and sustainable development, it is necessary to further improve social policy, expand social guarantees and enhance interaction between state and non-State actors. Judicial protection of social rights plays an important role in the implementation of the constitutional principles of the welfare State.

1. Deryugin A.A., Butov S.V. Human and civil rights and freedoms as the highest constitutional values in the Russian Federation. In: Traditsii i innovatsii v gosudarstvennom i munitsipal'nom upravlenii: tsennosti, tseli i imperativy razvitiya Rossiiskoi gosudarstvennosti: sbornik statei i materialov XVII Mezhdunarodnoi nauchno-prakticheskoi konferentsii = Traditions and innovations in state and municipal administration: values, goals and imperatives of the development of Russian statehood: collection of articles and materials of the XVII International scientific and practical conference. Vol. 1. Bryansk: RANHiGS; 2023. P. 207-214. (In Russ.)

2. Kutafin O.E. Russian constitutionalism. Moscow: Norma; 2008. 544 p. (In Russ.)

3. Yantsen A.V., Doronina P.N. Social responsibility of the state in the sphere of ensuring social protection of the population. Skif. Voprosy studencheskoi nauki = Skif. Issues of student science. 2020;(7):274-277. (In Russ.)

4. Glotov S.A. Social policy and social security of the Russian Federation: constitutional and legal issues of implementation. Moscow: Engineer; 2007. 429 p. (In Russ.)

5. Butov S.V. On the essence of the legal categories "legal status" and "legal status". Pravoporyadok: istoriya, teoriya, praktika = Law and order: history, theory, practice. 2024;(2):5-8. (In Russ.)

6. Butov S.V. The essence of the legal categories "legal status" and "legal status" in the context of the comprehensive theory of legal cognition. Teoriya gosudarstva i prava = Theory of the state and law. 2024;(2-1):30-42. (In Russ.)

7. Kovalenko S.A. Social policy: foundations and models. Yuzhno-rossiiskii zhurnal sotsial'nykh nauk = South Russian Journal of Social Sciences. 2007;(4):108-120. (In Russ.)

8. Vinogradova E.V. Social policy: historical, theoretical, practical aspects. Ekonomicheskie i sotsial'nye problemy Rossii = Economic and social problems of Russia. 2004;(1):6-52. (In Russ.)

9. Grigorieva I.A. Social policy: basic concepts. Zhurnal issledovanii sotsial'noi politiki = Journal of Social Policy Research. 2003;1(1):29-44. (In Russ.)

10. Volodina O.V. Social policy in the field of social and legal protection of military personnel and their families in the USSR in the first half of the 20th century. In: Gosudarstvo i pravo: evolyutsiya, sovremennoe sostoyanie, perspektivy razvitiya (k 100-letiyu obrazovaniya SSSR): materialy XIX Mezhdunarodnoi nauchno-teoreticheskoi konferentsii = State and law: evolution, current state, and development prospects (on the 100th anniversary of the formation of the USSR): Proceedings of the 19th International scientific and theoretical conference. St. Petersburg: St.-Peterb. un-t MVD RF; 2022. P. 732-740. (In Russ.)

11. Volodina O.V., Penkova A.N. Social security for military families in the first years of the Great Patriotic War: historical and legal aspects. Izvestiya Yugo-Zapadnogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta. Seriya: Istoriya i pravo = Proceedings of the Southwest State University. Series: History and Law. 2021;11(2):21-30. (In Russ.)

12. Nazarova I.S. Normative aspects of social protection of military personnel participating in a special military operation. In: Politrabota: istoriya, sovremennost', perspektivy (k 80-letiyu Voennoi ordena Zhukova akademii voisk natsional'noi gvardii Rossiiskoi Federatsii): materialymezhvedomstvennoi nauchno-prakticheskoi konferentsii s mezhdunarodnym uchastiem = Political work: history, modernity, prospects (on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the Military Order of Zhukov of the Academy of the National Guard of the Russian Federation): proceedings of the interdepartmental scientific and practical conference with international participation. St.-Petersburg: Voennaya ordena Zhukova akad. voisk natsional'noi gvardii RF; 2025. P. 203-206. (In Russ.)

13. Zavatkina N.V., Nazarova I.S. The institute of motherhood in the Russian Federation. Agrarnoe i zemel'noe pravo = Agrarian and Land Law. 2025;(2):151-154. (In Russ.)

14. Sidorina T.Yu. Operation "Welfare State": has the welfare state solved the problems of an ideal state? Terra Economicus. 2012;10(3):84-99. (In Russ.)

15. Dubrovsky D.A. Fundamentals of social policy in the USA, France and Russia (comparative legal analysis). Nauka. Obrazovanie. Sovremennost' = Science. Education. Modernity. 2024;(2):92-97. (In Russ.)