The purpose of the paper is to consider dynamics, structure, and also features of financing and the ways of human capital development in the scientific sphere of the Russian Federation. Methods of investigation are the analysis and synthesis, historical and logical methods, a systematic approach, a graphical method, a relative values method. According to the results of the research the main stages of Russian science development after breakup of the Soviet Union are defined, dynamics of the number of researchers by areas of science and also their age structure are considered. The reasons preventing further continuation of young Russian scientists activity in the Russian Federation, and also on the contrary, keeping them in the country are established. Dynamics of expenditures on the scientific and technical RF complex development is shown based on the resolution of the RF Government on Federal target program «Research and development on the priority directions of Russian scientific-technological complex development for 2014-2020" taking into account its annual adjustment. Conclusions: a range of issues hampering the de-velopment of Russian science at the present stage of its development is defined, such as insufficient effective-ness of scientific research, lack of independent self-evaluation, undeveloped infrastructure and insufficient material and technical resources, and also the widening gap between basic and applied scientific research. The solution of these problems has the special significance in the context of growing competition in the world scientific system under condition to postindustrial so-ciety.