Based on a large number of scientific studies the authors show the nature of mentoring as a diverse social phenomenon, which is not something new. At certain degree it has existed in all periods of development of our country. At the same time, two periods of scientists’ interest in the problem are distinguished: Soviet (70–90s) and Russian (2000s). The authors pay special attention to the fact that nowadays mentoring is an object of research of various sciences (philosophy, history, economics, pedagogy, psychology), each of them finds their own specific subject of scientific research.