The study of its history through the prism of "imperial" discourse has gained popularity in Russia and abroad in recent decades. Within the framework of the so-called. "imperial studies" by Russian and foreign researchers examines a variety of aspects of the development of its political and social institutions and relations in Russia itself, the features of its interaction with neighboring peoples and other issues, many of which were put on the agenda by the turbulent events of the late 20th – early 21th centuries. True, unlike the previous "imperial history", which was focused on the study of problems related primarily to the history of political and military, the current "new imperial history" pays more attention to issues that were not previously a priority ‑ the history of culture, everyday life, gender, etc. At the same time, Russia's imperial status, both in the "old" and "new" "imperial history," continues to be perceived as a kind of given that has always existed. There are few studies that dealt with the problems of gaining imperial status by Russia. In this article, the author proposes to address this issue and offers his own answer to the question ‑ why Russia, which did not have formally objective prerequisites for acquiring imperial status, nevertheless, was able not only to conquer it, but also to maintain itself as a great power for the next centuries.