The article analyzes the development of French studies in contemporary Russia. It is shown that serious changes took place in the Russian social sciences in the post-Soviet period. Scientists have abandoned the monopoly of Marxism in favor of methodological pluralism. Thanks to the application of new approaches, the interpretation of such fundamental historical phenomena has been expanded and deepened. In the study of contemporary France, attention is focused on current political and foreign policy events. Great attention is paid to political parties and election campaigns. The topic of immigration and integration of foreign cultural communities is being intensively developed. Serious gaps appeared in other directions. The loss of the country's position in the global economy has led to a decrease in interest in this side of French life. French society has been poorly studied, although there is an understanding that it is precisely social shifts and changes in public attitudes that lead to large-scale changes in the political space. In the context of the crisis of modern globalization and the COVID-19 pandemic, interest in the national experience is returning, and therefore in the near future we can expect the emergence of new works devoted to topical issues of the history and modern development of France.