Constitutional and legal status of federal territories: theoretical foundations and legal 
regulation practice

The article examines the constitutional and legal status of federal territories as a distinct form of the territorial organization of public power. It traces doctrinal approaches to the concept of a "federal territory," considers foreign experience in regulating this institution (the United States, Australia, Malaysia, Brazil), and discusses how the institution took shape in Russian constitutional law following the 2020 amendments to the Constitution of the Russian Federation. Particular attention is given to the legal status of the federal territory "Sirius" as the first practical instance of this institution in Russian law. The article concludes with observations on the distinctive legal nature of federal territories and the likely direction of further legislative development.