Th is article presents some initial refl ections on 20 interviews with regional senior civil servants from the diff erent government departments in the city of Saratov (Russia) on ethnic minorities and equal employment opportunities within the civil service. Th e interviews were conducted in April 2003. The article focuses on opinions and attitudes of the respondents about ethnic minority employees, their qualifi cations and professional characteristics, and draws attention to existing and potential discrimination at work, off ering some explanations. Some conclusions are presented concerning the positive and negative factors influencing the necessity of introducing kind of ‘Russian multiculturalism’ in the Saratov regional government.