The article deals with the main stages and key documents that allocated the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation as an independent object of state policy. The current problematic moments of the formation of the Arctic policy of Russia are analyzed. In the analysis of public policy, it was decided to abandon the allocation of clear stages of its formation due to the fact that it is not possible to determine equivalent criteria for their differentiation. The chosen approach made it possible to achieve the goal and draw conclusions about the dynamics of the process of shaping the Arctic policy of the Russian Federation, its key points, meaning and significance of the adopted legal acts.