The article focuses on the model of the social state that exists in the present-day Russia, discusses problems that increase in the process of its functioning in the context of the market economy, and emphasizes that the split of the society into the extremely rich and the extremely poor contains a threat to Russia's existence as a successful state. Based on the analysis of official sources as well as works written by Russian and foreign authors, the article offers a different theoretical construct of the social state model, which is more compatible with Russia's historical trajectory and mentality. In the end, the authors formulate the most topical and promising directions of Russia's present-day socio-economic policy