This paper examines Russia’s 20 years of experience with budgetary reforms. The authors focus most of their attention on the introduction into Russian budgetary practice of special-program methods, which is a key feature of the ongoing budgetary reform in the country. The main phases of the reform of the budgetary process are analyzed, from the formulation of programs for socio-economic development and the first attempts to apply the tools of program budgeting (the formulation of special federal programs) to the preparation of the federal budget on the basis of government programs and the transition to a program-based budgetary format for constituent entities of the Russian Federation.