# 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.