Two fundamental, but competing earth science concepts have been under discussion in Russia. The first one, that of endogenous regimes, is based on the assumption that permanent vertical relationships or long-term interactions between the crust and upper mantle control crustal evolution. Significant horizontal movements of the lithosphere, as required by the second concept, that of global plate tectonics, would destroy these crust-mantle interactions. Certain regular features of the crust and upper mantle support the endogenous regime concept and are difficult to explain in terms of conventional plate tectonics. In particular, the close correlation between near-surface features and deep (> 400 km) mantle inhomogeneities suggests that many geological structures are deeply rooted in the mantle. Moreover, geophysical studies have failed to reveal a well-defined and continuous asthenosphere at relatively shallow depths (∼ 100 km) that would allow lithospheric plates to be transported over large distances, and the rheology of the lithosphere itself is found to be sufficiently inhomogeneous as to cast doubt on the principle of thin rigid plates. In contrast, palaeomagnetic and other data require that horizontal movements of many near-surface geological structures must have taken place. To explain this apparent contradiction, it is suggested here that the crust and its connected deep root are capable of gliding along one of the deep mantle phase transition zones with respect to the inner Earth.