Vast factual material is presented in the paper. On the basis of counting believers according to various techniques, the confessional status of the Russian society in the early 21 century is analyzed. Chief trends in the religious component of the world outlook of Russians for the past 15 years have been revealed. A conclusion of a high degree of religious seif-identification of the modern Russian population has been made. The abundance dynamics of religious organizations in the USSR and Russian Federation in 1985-2005 is presented. Main trends in the organizational legalization of some principal confessions are considered.