This article examines the impact of household income on private transfers in Russia, based on the assumptions of altruism, exchange and risk sharing. Econometric investigations using data from the Russia Longitudinal Monitoring Survey 2002 show that the fact of giving or receiving transfers does not relate to altruism but rather suggests reciprocity. Notably, some informal assistance networks would develop among the poorest households on the basis of risk sharing, while the richest households' gifts would rather be guided by a search for compensation, thus showing the predominance of self-interest.