The article describes the key causes and factors that determine the nature of the threshold period between 2017 and 2025. The author analyzes the most important trends of this period, which took place during similar turning periods (between 1849-1857 and 1945-1953) of the world system's previous evolutionary cycles. Among these trends are shifts in the global political leadership, transition of the center of influence on the world development from the Euro-Atlantic to the Asia-Pacific region, political crises and social upheavals in Europe, growth of domestic and international conflicts in the world, economic and political crises, large-scale geopolitical and geoeconomic shifts, important changes in the spiritual, cultural, and ideological spheres. On the basis of the identified trends and empirical analysis of the processes ongoing in the world, the author formulates his forecast of the key changes and shifts that are likely to happen between 2017 and 2025. Some of these changes and shifts will be of particular importance, notably the transition to a polycentric world order and the new technological paradigm, the crises in the world economy and in the financial sector, the growing influence of China and other countries in the Asia-Pacific region, the fight against international terrorism, and the crisis in the European Union. Russia is to face a difficult period of adaptation to the rapidly changing economic, technological and political conditions. One of the most crucial tasks, whose solution will determine Russia’s future, is the implementation of re-industrialization and introduction of new technologies.