[en] Regulatory activity of Gosatomnadzor of Russia in the field of research reactors (RR) safety implies implementing three major aspects: 1) establishing the nuclear and radiation safety standards; 2) licensing; and 3) inspection and enforcement. Relatively recently a full set of safety standards and regulations for RR has been established thus allowing Gosatomnadzor of Russia to effectively implement its designated functions in the field of RR safety. A minimum set of these documents is shown as follows: Level I: Fundamentals: Law 'On the use of nuclear energy'; Law 'On Public radiation protection' Level II: Safety Standard: 'General Provisions for Safety of Research Facilities' Level III: Safety Rules: Nuclear Safety; - Radiation Safety; Waste Management; Safe Decommissioning of RR; Safety Analysis Report; QAP Level IV: Safety Regulations: Licensing (incl. Peer Review and Safety Assessment) - Inspection Gosatomnadzor of Russia has created and regularly updates the database on nuclear research reactors based on the actual status of all facilities. According to the database many facilities have been shutdown during recent years whether temporary or permanently waiting for the final decision on their decommissioning. For example, in 2003 Gosatomnadzor of Russia has 85 nuclear research reactors under its supervision (compared to 113 in 1998). This fact can be explained by three main reasons: 1) experimental program finished and no other programmes in place; 2) lack of resources (financial and human); 3) safety problems (physical obsolescence and ageing of equipment). One of the main difficulties in regulating RR safety is a variety of operating organizations - 21, with different financial and human resource capabilities. Ministries responsible for supporting their operation are of a little help. It becomes obvious that a unified governmental program for RR utilization is urgently needed to decide what number of RR and for what needed purposes is required to support the Russian National Economy. In order to facilitate the Gosatomnadzor of Russia activity in regulating RR safety a nuclear research reactor safety classification, based on the level of hazard of a facility, had been established in 1994 as follows: Group 1: Nominal Power up to and above 100 MWt for which there is a potential for severe accidents in all INES scale. Group 2: Nominal Power up to 20 MWt, devoted to a nuclear core physics study, training, and isotope production with a moderate nuclear and radiation risk. Group 3: Nominal Power up to 1 MWt where it may not be necessary to organize a forced cooldown of the reactor core in an emergency situation and with a small radiation risk. One of the main features of Gosatomnadzor of Russia regulating operational safety of RR is the control of an annually self-assessment by the operating organization and a report on that to be submitted to Gosatomnadzor of Russia for its review and making decision as a feedback. During 2002 there were 47 (same as in previous year) incidents resulted in scram of the Emergency Control System (Emergency Control Rods), the majority of which was related to: a) ageing of components, important to safety; b) instability of the External Electric Power Supply; and 3) Operator's error. The major problem remains the problem of Waste Management, namely, Spent Fuel and RadWaste transportation from the RR sites. The current status of Spent Fuel storage facilities at major research reactor sites is summarized. As to the operational safety of RR it should be noted that there were no nuclear and radiation incidents at the research facilities which would result in exceeding the limits of safe operation. It should be stressed that one of the main achievements of Gosatomnadzor of Russia during these years has become resolution of the problems of ageing facilities (like most powerful ones: MIR.M1, VR-50, BOR-60)