Learning the basics and trends of the development of corporate social responsibility is connected with the need to identify the reasons for its humanization and globalization in today's business environment. Sustainability and competitiveness is one of the important characteristics of the company today. The characteristic of the Russian practice of corporate social responsibility highlights its features, levels and forms of development. Monotowns are a highly vulnerable category of Russian communities; they are in constant risk due to their specific characteristics and largely the underdeveloped economic base. The problems of monoprofile towns usually do not have simple solutions. They require a comprehensive approach and taking account of the existence and development of each monotown. The article deals with the concept of a monoprofile town, stages of formation and evolution of this phenomenon in the Russian economy. There is the problem of application of corporate social responsibility in the practice of Russian monotowns. There is the characteristic advantage of social responsibility in the monotowns. There is the influence of the organizations activities operating in a monotown on the quality of life of the population. There is the necessity of the use of corporate social responsibility in monotowns to enhance their sustainability and improve competitiveness.