The article studies phenomenon of diaspora diplomacy of Russia as an instrument of “soft power” on the example of the practice of the city of Moscow. Scientifi c and practical signifi cance of the chosen issue lies in the comprehension of the infl uence of domestic approach of interaction with compatriots on the specifi cs and dynamics of the formation of an attractive image of the state. Scholarly novelty of the article lies in the fact that it is devoted to the case of diaspora diplomacy at the sub-state level, which has not been studied before. The authors study peculiarities of working with diasporas in Russia’s foreign policy; two fundamental categories of dialogue activities are analyzed: fi rstly, partnership cooperation with compatriots, and secondly, expatriate resettlement programs. Through the prism of theoretical and practical-political analysis, the article identifi es main directions for intensifying work with the Russian diaspora at the federal and regional levels. Practical recommendations formulated by the authors, based on the positive experience of the city of Moscow, can be used to optimize approaches to cooperation with compatriots not only in Russia’s foreign policy, but also in other states or sub-state actors.