There is an ongoing debate in Russian sociology about the socio-economic position, role in society, and the very existence of middle class in contemporary Russia.  The article provides critical analysis of the common criteria that define middle class, such as level of consumption, economic independence, high level of education, and their applicability to Russian socio-economic reality.

We analyzed the motivation for the ever-increasing demand of young people for college education in contemporary Russia.  This demand can be adequately explained neither by the economic situation nor by the government policy. The study was conducted in Penza Pedagogic University, Penza, Russia. Several methods were used: survey designed for the study, interviews, observation, analysis of statistical data and documents. The students majoring in four subjects (sociology and social work, pre-law, physics and math, and foreign languages) served as respondents. Based on the data, we concluded that the educational motivation is mostly personal derived from socio-cultural and socio-psychological rather than economic considerations. The interests of self-fulfillment, cultural and intellectual enrichment, respect by the community, etc, prevail over the income expectations. The income prospects were important, but they never appeared as the major, much less the only, reason to seek college education.  To that end, the students and their families were willing to invest considerable funds out of their meager budgets.  Higher education seems to be associated with their social position as members of the middle class, the position threatened by the economic disenfranchisement and, thus, to serve as a mean of social self-preservation.