The influence of teacher care and support in students' learning and motivation underscores the critical importance of fairness perceptions in the classroom. In this qualitative study we examined perceptions of unfairness and fairness among Russian grade nine students. We interviewed a total of 32 students in two traditional Moscow high schools individually and in focus groups. Students' comments revealed a novel dimension of unfairness and fairness, centered on teachers' pedagogical competence. In addition, the frequency and ways in which students spoke about unfairness and fairness differed depending on the interview format. We discuss our results in the context of the unique sociocultural and historical context in which these students were coming of age.