The article focuses on the parliamentary election results at both federal and regional levels (2003-2016). The research is based upon the index of the effective number of parties (the Laakso-Taagepera index and Golosov index) and proposes that these indices demonstrate a certain extent of political and electoral competitiveness. For the period under review authors distinguish 4 consequent stages, which reflect trends in Russian electoral competition. After the adoption of amendments, which tightened Russia’s electoral law, the electoral landscape transformed gradually from high levels of representativeness to limitation of inter-party competition through periods of “forced partization” and liberalization of electoral law. At the current stage (2013-2017) the system seeks to follow a tendency towards controlled competition. Thus, a relatively large number of parties take part in election (for instance, eleven parties were registered to participate in the 2016 election to the State Duma), but can’t provide competition to the ruling party. Based on statistics for regional parliamentary elections, only the Republic of Karelia has demonstrated more or less competitive situation. It is also confirmed by the effective number of parties index, which at the last election (2016) amounted to 3,76. In general, despite the existing partial frauds in the election results, the analysis of electoral statistics allows to build a so-called “electoral portrait” that takes into account the medium- and long-term tendencies of the electoral process and, above all, the consequences of reforms in the respective field of legislation.