The evolution of means of identifying individuals and the formation of digital identifiers in the legal system of the Russian Federation

The subject of the research is the legal nature of identifiers and means of identification of individuals, their historical evolution and contemporary functioning in the context of digital transformation of public governance. The study analyzes the system of socio-legal, documentary, and digital identifiers used to establish identity. The author examines in detail aspects of the topic such as the formation of identification practices in the Russian state, the transition from material and documentary means to digital forms of identity fixation, as well as the role of state information systems in ensuring legally significant identification. Special attention is given to the analysis of the sectoral fragmentation of existing identifiers, the problem of the absence of a universal identifier, and doctrinal approaches to digital identity and the digital profile of a citizen in the system of electronic interaction with the state and other subjects of legal relations. The research methodology includes historical-legal, comparative-legal, and systemic-structural methods, as well as formal-legal analysis of regulatory acts, practices of digital identification, and doctrinal approaches to the categories of identifier and digital profile of the individual. The scientific novelty of the study lies in clarifying the concepts of "identifier" and "means of identification" as legal categories, substantiating their functional role in legal application, and developing the author's classification of identifiers by coverage, characteristic feature, and form of fixation. The work shows that the modern system of identification is sectoral and fragmented and does not create a universal identifier applicable in all areas of legal regulation. The position is substantiated that the digital profile should be viewed not as an independent subject of rights, but as a form of representation of the individual in the digital environment, lacking autonomous will. The conclusions emphasize the need to systematize existing identifiers, develop institutional mechanisms for digital identification, and maintain a balance between the effectiveness of public governance, the protection of personal data, and the ensuring of citizens' rights and freedoms.