Natalia Evgenievna Tikhonova is a Research Professor at the Department of Applied Economics, Faculty of Economic Sciences, National Research University Higher School of Economics (HSE). With over 50 years of academic experience since 1974, she has made significant contributions to sociology, particularly in social stratification, socio-economic consequences of reforms, and cultural dynamics of Russian society. She also serves as a leading researcher at the Institute of Sociology of the Russian Academy of Sciences. 2011: Academic title of Professor 2000: Doctor of Sociological Sciences from Institute of Sociology of the Russian Academy of Sciences (specialty 22.00.04 "Social structure, social institutions and social processes") 1981: Candidate of Philosophical Sciences from Lomonosov Moscow State University 1975: Specialty in "Philosophy" from Lomonosov Moscow State University Professor Tikhonova's research focuses on social stratification of Russian society, socio-economic consequences of reforms for various population groups (youth, women, the poor, the unemployed, middle class), reforming social policy, cultural dynamics, and social modernization of Russia. Her work examines how economic transformations impact social structure and how different social groups adapt to changing conditions. She has led numerous large-scale research projects funded by international and domestic scientific funds including INTAS, USAID/REX, MacArthur Foundation, Russian Foundation for Humanities, and Russian Foundation for Basic Research. Her recent publications demonstrate a consistent focus on understanding Russian society through the lens of social stratification, human capital, and professional groups. She has pioneered research on Russian professionals, examining their definition, human capital quality, social position, and economic vulnerability. Her work shows how economic crises and geopolitical shifts have reshaped Russian society, with particular attention to the middle class, poverty dynamics, and identity formation in contemporary Russia. Medal "Recognition - 15 years of successful work" of HSE (March 2024) Winner of the Competition for the Best Russian-Language Scientific Works by HSE Employees (2024) Honorary Diploma of HSE (December 2018, October 2013) Honorary Diploma of the Russian Academy of Sciences (October 2008) Multiple academic work allowances (2005-2018) Bonuses for publications in List B journals (2023-2025) Professor Tikhonova has supervised nine doctoral dissertations and numerous master's theses. She has led major research projects including "Rich and Poor in Modern Russia" (2003), "Social Reforms: Expectation and Reality" (2006), "Russian Everyday Life in Sociological Measurement" (2009), "Is Russian Society Ready for Modernization?" (2010), and "Twenty Years of Reforms in the Eyes of Russians" (2011). As director of the Stratification Research Center at the Institute of Social Policy, she has secured funding from prestigious national and international sources including the Russian Science Foundation. She is a member of editorial boards of journals "Sociological Science and Social Practice" (since 2013) and "Public Sciences and Modernity" (since 2011). Her research team at HSE has produced influential collective monographs including "Society of Unequal Opportunities: Social Structure of Modern Russia" (2022), which was shortlisted for the Grushin Book Sociological Prize.