OBJECTIVES: to assess social and economic burden of a hepatitis Ñ infection in Russian Federation. METHODS: Cost of illness analysis was performed. Available data on epidemiology of hepatitis C infection in Russian Federation has been analyzed. Experts were surveyed to describe common practice of treating patients with acute and chronic hepatitis C.  Costs of medical care were calculated from the  health care system point of view. RESULTS: State registration of hepatitis C infection has been launched in 1994. The incidence of acute hepatitis C is decreasing while there is increase in chronic hepatitis C new cases. Number of people with asymptomatic virus carriage was increasing till 2001 and has been slowly decreasing since then. There is no data about hepatitis C prevalence in Russia. Expected economic burden was calculated on the basis of several assumptions: 1) only new cases of chronic hepatitis C are treated; 2) all new cases of acute hepatitis C are hospitalized, all new cases of chronic hepatitis C get hospital treatment first, then out-patient treatment; 3) and only 15 % of all patients with chronic hepatitis C receive treatment with pegylated interferons and ribavirin reimbursed from national health care system.   CONCLUSIONS: Based on these assumptions expected economic burden of hepatitis C infection in Russian Federation is about €0,16 million.