The Soviet school system proved to be very effective in solving specific problems related to eradicating illiteracy, expanding the network of educational institutions, training work force, forming the scientific and technical potential of the country, developing national/ethic educational systems, and ensuring that education was accessible. By the early 1960s, for example, the level of training of the graduates of Soviet secondary schools was one of the highest in the world in regard to the natural science cycle and mathematics. However, acknowledging the success of the work of the Soviet school system in a number of areas does not obviate the necessity of making a critical analysis and discerning contradictions in the system's development. Inherent to the Soviet system of education was the state's monopoly in the administration of the schools, along with the domination of the communist ideology in instruction and upbringing. In this article, the author takes a look at the strategies employed by Russia for its educational reforms from 1985 to 2005.