Correlation with current democratic reforms in Ukraine and specifics of practices of participatory democracy in Ukraine was shown through the based on the comparative characteristics of categories „political participation” and „public participation”. It was shown that in Ukraine, in conditions of deepening democratic processes, which were catalyzed by the reform of decentralization, the canalization of political participation in constructive channel is possible only if an open dialogue is established between the government and society. It is argued that despite the obvious for modern Ukraine actualization of different practices of public participation, which is the foundation of participatory democracy, they should not displace the mechanisms of the classical model of representative democracy.