The Russian Federation has been participating in the international student achievement studies since 1988–91 (International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement, IEA). Up to now very few printed articles and Internet-sources about the TIMSS and PISA results have been published. The article describes the actual background of “modernization of education” and the possible benefits for the Russian school reform that can be drawn from taking part in TIMSS and PISA. The main tendencies as well as first reactions, interpretations and critical remarks are presented. At the end of the article, an outlook is provided on how results of PISA shaped the discussion about the education standard for the Russian school. Furthermore, the impact of PISA on the international educational transfer is questioned.