Results and prospects of the study of spiders (Aranei) in Russia and around the world

Data on the species diversity of spiders in the world fauna and in Russia are presented. Advance in the knowledge of the species diversity is discussed. The most productive arachnologists who described over 1000 species are listed, as well as all the Russian specialists who described over 30 species. A brief historical summary of classification of spiders is given. Based on the prevalent methodology, the history of the spider classification can be conventionally subdivided into four partly overlapping periods: “ecological” (1678–1886), morphological (1864–2009), synthetic (since 1967), and cladistic (since 1976).