This case study is built upon the personal experience of the author and relevant literature. The main aim of the study is to determine major current trends in the development of the Distance Learning (DL) in the Russian higher education. The author studied in the state of DL as a Fulbright specialist at one of the Federal universities in Russia in 2018. The study is based on multiple unobtrusive observations of the faculty, open-ended interviews with the faculty and administration. The major barriers to the development of distance education in Russian higher education are indicated. The author assumes that these problems are typical for the higher education in the former Soviet Union countries. At the end of this study solutions are offered to overcome these problems.