Annotation: The article is devoted to the questions of interrelation of the Russian state system and Orthodoxy as Л. <...> Е. religion historically closely connected with national and cultural development of Russia. <...> Timeliness of the theme under study is caused by the legal, cultural and political processes of modern Russian society demanding determination of national and civil identity. <...> The problems of legislating of the exclusive status of Orthodoxy and "the Russian people" in a legal framework, particularly in the Constitution of the Russian Federation, are considered in details. <...> The role of Orthodoxy in the history of the Russian state and creation of such unique form of the political organization of the state, as the Russian orthodox autocracy, is overall investigated. <...> Ambiguity of interpretation of the concept "Russian" in civilization, state, national, civil and cultural aspects at the present stage is emphasized. <...> The reasons are done for the lack of need of fixing the separate status of ethnonym "the Russian people" in the Constitution as Russia is a multiethnic civilization, based on the Russian cultural kernel, Russian cultural dominant, which implies not only ethnic Russians, but all possessors of such identity irrespectively of their nationality. <...> As a result of the research the author comes to the conclusion that destruction of the traditional religiousness which has been formed for centuries, breaches the rights and freedoms of each citizen of the country. <...> Accordingly it is necessary to provide legislative status to the traditional religions such as Orthodoxy, Islam, Judaism and Buddhism, stressing the particular role of Orthodoxy. <...> The conclusions of the research can be used within the performing legislative work in the field of interreligious relations, in scientific investigations in the sphere of law, philosophy, cultural science and religious studies. <...> Статья посвящена вопросам взаимосвязи российской государственности и православия как исторически государство- и культурообразую-щей религии России Актуальность темы обусловлена правовыми, культурными и политическими процессами современного российского общества, требующими определения национальной и гражданской идентичности.! <...>