A discussion on the theoretical and legal foundations for the classification of crimes in the Russian Federation. Special attention is devoted to the categorization of crimes based on their seriousness and threat to society. The criteria for such categorization are examined. Chapter headings are: 1. Theoretical underpinnings of crime classification 2. Classification of crimes in criminal law and statutes 3. Categorizing crimes by their threat to society 4. Significance of crime categorization for the establishment of standards and conventions in the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation 5. Significance of crime categorization for related branches of the law and scholarship.