Research is now organized according to a global science system, articulated by English-language journals, that partly subsumes national systems and is the source of most innovation. To be effective, national science institutions must closely and continually engage in, and contribute to, this global system. “Science and technology in one country” is no longer a strategic option. Russian science is characterized by very low rates of publication, citations and joint international authorship, relative to system and university size. The total number of papers produced each year is declining. Only Lomonosov Moscow State University (LMSU) is ranked in the first 750 universities in the world on the volume of published science in English. Between 1995 and 2012, the number of internationally co-authored papers increased by 168% worldwide but 35% in Russia. The closed international door is a legacy of the Soviet period. The situation in Russia contrasts with the spectacular growth of science in China and East Asia, powered by active and focused states with a drive for internationalization. This article discusses the trajectory of East Asian science. While Russia cannot replicate the East Asian family or political culture, a vigorous internationalization policy would kick-start the transformation of national science.