This paper focuses on the transformations the Russian non-formal educational system has experienced under the conditions of dramatic socioeconomic change and on how effectively the current market of non-formal educational services provides access of the representatives of socially disadvantaged groups to education. Correspondingly, our major objectives are: • to describe the transformations of Russian non-formal education after the collapse of the USSR; • to find out how these transformations influenced the role of non-formal education in the promotion of social inclusion; • to highlight the major advantages and shortcomings of the current non-formal education system in the promotion of social inclusion in Russia as compared to formal education; • to place our findings into the broader sociocultural context by comparing Russia with other post-soviet countries that participated in the research project (Estonia, Lithuania, Bulgaria). In European social sciences, non-formal educational sector is traditionally seen as a key bridge towards social inclusion for those who are alienated from the formal educational system (Kelly 1999; Downes 2003). However, in the Russian Federation integration of the non-formal education into the national educational system and its possibilities in the promotion of social inclusion are currently at the periphery of scientific discussions.