Abstract: The article is devoted to the study of one of the current issues of modern science. That is the definition of the correlation between the concepts of «civilization» and «state». It turns out that, despite their heterogeneity (the state is a form of organization of political power, civilization is a phenomenon of cultural development), there is a certain connection between them, due to the reciprocal determination within society of the corresponding functions of the state and culture. The purpose of the research is to analyze these categories in relation to the history of the development of Russian statehood. The article presents the author’sstandpoint in understanding the essence and specificity of the civilizational development of Russian statehood. The theoretical basis of the study was the work of Russian and foreign scientists. Methodology. In the process of working with the material, a systematic method, as well as methods of comparative legal, historical-legal, civilizational analysis and formal logicwere used. Results. It is found that in the considered correlation of theconcepts «civilization» and «state», the concept of «civilization» has a large volume, as far as it can cover several states with a similar culture, and within the same civilization, various forms of state government can historically change. The definition of civilization is formulated, and the authors proposes to understand it as a long-existing self-sufficient community of ethnic groups, countries, states, having a clearly expressed spiritual and material cultural identity and acting as a significant subject of socio-cultural development of human society. The specificity and place of Soviet subcivilization within the framework of Russian civilization are clarified.