The purpose of this article is to establish the methodological feasibility of teaching Russian phraseological units to foreign students at the initial stage and patterns in the presentation of phraseological units in modern textbooks on Russian phraseology for foreigners. The following research methods were used: questioning students in the first and third years of a linguistic university in order to identify the level of proficiency in Russian phraseology; content analysis of modern textbooks for phraseology for foreigners; analysis of the selection of phraseological units included in the textbooks. The study showed the need to include phraseological units in the requirements for proficiency in Russian as a foreign language at all stages, including the initial stage, in compliance with the principles of continuity, consistency and methodological expediency, the subjectivity of the phraseological units selection, reflecting the creative author’s position, the lack of common selection criteria and compulsory m