2012 in Russia

Incumbents

• President of Russia – Dmitry Medvedev 7 May Vladimir Putin 7 May
• Prime Minister of Russia – Vladimir Putin United Russia) 7 May Viktor Zubkov 8 May Dmitry Medvedev

  Events

• January 9 - Insurgency in the North Caucasus: Clashes occur between the Russian forces and Islamist militants in the Vedensky District, Chechnya, with reportedly 8 killed and 16 wounded.
• January 15 - Russia's unmanned Fobos-Grunt space probe re-enters the Earth's atmosphere after a failed mission to the Martian moon Phobos. The 13-ton spacecraft disintegrates over the southern Pacific Ocean at approximately 16:45 UTC. China's first Mars probe, Yinghuo-1, which was launched together with Fobos-Grunt, is also destroyed.
• January 27 - Insurgency in the North Caucasus: 13 people are killed in three separate clashes between the Russian forces and Islamist militants in the Russian republics of Ingushetia, Dagestan, and Kabardino-Balkariya.
• February 13–17 - 2012 Nozhay-Yurtovsky District clashes.
• March 4 - The 2012 Presidential election is held.
• May 7 - Putin was inaugurated as President
• May 8 - Medvedev appointed as Prime Minister and later he became leader of the United Russia Party
• May 21 - new cabinet was formed.
• June 3–4 - The European Union-Russia Summit in Saint Petersburg.

  Notable deaths

• January 2 - Anatoly Kolesov, 73, wrestler, Olympic gold medalist, after long illness.
• January 2 - Ivan Călin, 76, Moldovan politician, Acting President of the Moldovan Parliament.
• January 3 - Stepan Oshchepkov, 77, canoeist, Olympic gold medalist.
• January 5 - Alexander Sizonenko, 52, Russian basketball player, world's tallest person.
• January 8 - Dmitry Machinsky, 74, Russian archaeologist.
• January 9 - Pyotr Vasilevsky, 55, Belarusian football player and coach.
• January 14 - Zelemkhan Zangiyev, 37, Russian footballer.
• January 15 - Eduard Ivanov, 73, Soviet ice hockey player, World and Olympic champion.
• January 16 - Valentin Rusantsov, 72, Primate of the Russian Orthodox Autonomous Church.
• January 25 - Alexander Zhitinsky, 71, Russian writer.
• January 27 - Dzhamaleim Mutaliyev, 35, Russian rebel leader, shot.
• February 6 - Vitaly Gorelik, 44, Russian mountaineer, heart attack.
• February 11 - Sergey Kolosov, 90, Russian film director, People's Artist of the USSR.
• February 17 - Tatyana Golikova, 66, Russian ballerina.
• February 20 - Asar Eppel, 77, Russian translator, stroke.
• February 20 - Vitaly Vorotnikov, 86, Soviet politician, Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Russian SFSR.
• February 22 - Lyudmila Kasatkina, 86, Russian actress, People's Artist of the USSR.
• March 28 - Eduard Steinberg, 76, Russian painter.
• June 4 - Eduard Khil, 77, Russian baritone singer.