Abstract: The article considers the main legal mechanisms of ensuring publicity and transparency of local government, possessed by the civil society institutions according to the current legislation. The author outlines several problems of information coverage of local governments’ activities; points at the lack of legal regulation of electronic municipalities on the local level. On the base of the analysis of federal and municipal legislation, the author proposes specific legislative and organizational measures, aimed at the improvement of publicity and legitimacy of local governments. The author applies general philosophical and general scientific methods of cognition (comparative-legal, formal-legal and theoretical and prognostic). The novelty of the study consists in the explanation of interconnection between publicity and the activity of the civil society on municipal level; in confirming the influence of the non-governmental sector on the level of transparency of municipal bodies. The author proposes the amendments to the Federal Law “On the general principles of local government organization in Russia”, and the Federal Law “On the principles of public control in the Russian Federation”, enhancing the dialogue between local governments and the civil society. 

Abstract: The article studies the peculiarities of introduction of civil activity principles on the local level; analyzes the federal, regional and municipal legal acts regulating local civil institutions. The topicality of the issue is undoubtful as in the modern conditions of functioning of the Russian state and local governments the effective public control over all levels of public and local authority is necessary. The author not only suggests particular theoretical ideas, but also offers concrete legislative formulations for Russian legislation; the author formulates specific amendments and legislative novels concerning intensification of interaction of local population, civil society institutions and municipal authorities. The methodology of the research includes general philosophical and special methods of cognition (dialectical, the systems method, analysis, synthesis, induction, deduction, the comparative-legal method, the formal-legal, system-functional, statistical and theoretical-prognostic methods). Municipal legislation contains special mechanisms stimulating local civil activity; moreover, these mechanisms are adapted to the conditions of a particular territory, municipality, and local peculiarities. Nevertheless, legitimation of public commissions under local authorities by Russian regional governments, adoption of special programmes of support of social civil society institutions on a competitive basis, and development of information grounds of local governments can intensify civil society institutions’ and citizens’ activity in the work of local government.