ABSTRACT
While reforms deinstitutionalising child welfare in Russia have frequently been analysed, the point of view of children has rarely been in focus. There remains a dearth of information about how children experience growing up in foster families in Russia. In this chapter of Reforming Child Welfare in the Post-Soviet Space, the authors analyse how children in foster care perceive their experiences in foster families through the use of biographies. Thus, we analyse the building of narrative identities in children going through family placement. Special attention is paid to the barriers that children face in the process of transition into foster care, as well as highlighting which resources help to achieve successful transition and adaptation.