Abstract: The multinational people of the Russian Federation are, in accordance with the Constitution of Russia, the bearer of sovereignty and the only source of power in the country. At the same time, he exercises his powers both directly (for example, through the institutions of free elections and referendums) and indirectly (in particular, through the activities of public authorities). However, the constitutional principles of democracy and the participation of society in the management of state affairs need a system of legal guarantees, the most important of which is the institute of public control, the legal basis of which is a system of principles – the basic, most general principles that determine the content and main directions of regulation of this institution of civil society in the Russian Federation. A number of scientific research methods are used in the work: comparative legal, historical legal, formal logical and a number of others. This article is devoted to the analysis of responsibility as a principle of public control in the Russian Federation. The purpose of the study is not only to substantiate the need to formalize the above-mentioned principle of this institution of civil society in the legislation on public control (in particular, in Article 6 of Federal Law No. 212-FZ dated 21.07.2014 "On the basics of public control in the Russian Federation"), but also to formalize and study the main problems preventing the consolidation and implementation of this principle of public control. The author developed and substantiated a system of measures to resolve these problems, including by introducing amendments and additions to the legislation of Russia.