The article covers the problems of personal identity formation, identity transformations, special focus of the work is the methodological basis of personal identity formation research of adolescents, their “moving into adulthood” in the situation of social-economic instability and crisis. Personal identity formation is described as phenomenon in its transformations. As criteria for defining identity in adolescents we use stability of self-conceptions in time and readiness to make independent decisions in life. Thus different combinations of various levels of stability and readiness to make decisions will determine identity typology.