2012 in Russia
Events from the year 2012 in the Russia

Incumbents
 President of Russia – Dmitry Medvedev (United Russia) (until 7 May), Vladimir Putin (United Russia) (from 7 May)
 Prime Minister of Russia – Vladimir Putin (United Russia) (until 7 May), Viktor Zubkov (7-8 May, acting), Dmitry Medvedev (United Russia) (from 8 May)

Events

January 
 January 5 – Russia loses to Sweden 1–0 in overtime in the 2012 World Junior Ice Hockey Championship. 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 
 February 13–17 – 2012 Nozhay-Yurtovsky District clashes. March 
 March 4 – The 2012 Presidential election is held. May 
 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 
 June 3–4 – The European Union-Russia Summit in Saint Petersburg. July 
 July  – The Russian foreign agent law bill is introduced by legislators from the governing United Russia party. July 20  – The Russian foreign agent law is signed into law by President Vladimir Putin. The law requires non-profit organizations that receive foreign donations and engage in "political activity" to register and declare themselves as foreign agents
 Stavropol region has a ban on hijabs in schools. the first of its kind imposed by a region in the Russian federation. The ruling was upheld by Russia's Supreme Court in July 2013.

Notable deaths

January 

 January 2 – Anatoly Kolesov, 73, wrestler, Olympic gold medalist (1964), after long illness. (born 1938)
 January 2 – Ivan Călin, 76, Moldovan politician, Acting President of the Moldovan Parliament (2009). January 3 – Stepan Oshchepkov, 77, canoeist, Olympic gold medalist (1964). (born 1934)
 January 5 – Alexander Sizonenko, 52, Russian basketball player, world's tallest person (1991). 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 (1996–2012). January 25 – Alexander Zhitinsky, 71, Russian writer. January 27 – Dzhamaleim Mutaliyev, 35, Russian rebel leader, shot. February 

 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 (Bolshoi Ballet). February 20 – 
 Asar Eppel, 77, Russian translator, stroke. Vitaly Vorotnikov, 86, Soviet politician, Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Russian SFSR (1988–1990). February 22 – Lyudmila Kasatkina, 86, Russian actress, People's Artist of the USSR. March 

 March 21 – Marina Salye, Russian geologist and politician. March 27 – Anatoly Kikin, Soviet and Russian footballer and coach. March 27 – Alim Zankishiev, Russian insurgent, leader in the Caucasus Emirate. March 28 – Eduard Steinberg, 76, Russian painter. March 28 – Sergey Solnechnikov, Russian military officer. March 30 – Viktor Kosichkin, Russian Olympic speed skating gold and silver medalist. March 30 – Leonid Shebarshin, Russian KGB interim Chairman. June 

 June 4 – Eduard Khil, 77, Russian baritone singer. See also 
 List of Russian films of 2012

References

External links

 
Years of the 21st century in Russia
2010s in Russia