As Russia transforms itself from the largest partner in the command economy that was the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics to the largest member of the post Cold-War Commonwealth of Independent States, political, social and economic structures and institutions are undergoing rapid and fundamental change. Included in this is tourism, its role and how it is organized. This paper provides a snapshot view of the official structural arrangements for tourism in Russia as of summer 1997. It is hoped that the paper will prove useful for scholars as they track these changes over time. The paper commences with a brief geographic, demographic and economic profile of Russia, turns to a discussion of the function of tourism in the former Soviet Union and goes on to examine the structural arrangements for tourism. The paper concludes with some observations about the problems and prospects of tourism and some suggestions for further research