In the old days Johnson might've meant literally "son of John" but no longer. All of the people with the surname "Ivanov(a)" on that page also have a patronym, which in the West would be considered a middle name.
GP is correct. Ivanov or Ivanova would generally be surnames, whereas Ivanov or Ivanov[n]a would be patronyms. In Russian culture, they generally don't use matronyms. And yes, it is indeed common in Russia to refer to individuals whom you are not close with using their surname, similar to Japanese culture.