The paper traces the deepest geopolitical origins of Russia in a close connection with its civilization self-determination and stresses on the former as a specific historical project. The geopolitical path of Russia may be interpreted in terms of "departure — return” model, and Its civilization self-detrmination had been in a common rhythm with the Russian geopolitical cycles, oscillating between the outward and inland geopolitics. Russia grew from history as a self-contained geopolitical "core*, but new stage of ’’departure'’ needs a new phylosophy of all-Russian unity — traditional and open to modernism at the same time.