The basic means of influence of the organs of Russian state authority upon the functioning of non-governmental organizations defending human rights is legislative activity. It was with the help of this acitvity that a base was built from the very beginning, thanks to which many non-governmental organizations could be revived or born. From the point of view of the Russian authorities, non-governmental human rights organizations occupy a special place, which has been perceived for 15 years not as support for the ruling elite in the difficult way of shaping a modern state and a democratic society, but as a threat to the functioning status quo. One cannot therefore not get the impression that the regulations concerning the third sector are primarily aimed at hindering or even preventing the activities of non-governmental organizations defending human rights. However, before the vector turned in the policy towards the third sector, in the first period of 1991-1999 we had a positive attitude of the state towards the development of the social sector. The presented article is designed to bring closer the first period of interaction between the state authorities and non-governmental organizations defending human rights, resulting in activities aiming to “regulate” the legal situation of the third sector in the Russian Federation.