List of heads of state of Russia

With the abdication of Emperor Nicholas II after the February Revolution of 1917, power in Russia passed to the Provisional Government formed by the liberal leadership of the Duma. Grand Duke Michael had refused to ascend to his older brother's throne without the consent of an elected Constituent Assembly, and it was broadly assumed that the Assembly would be the only body with the authority to change the form of government. However after a failed coup attempt against the Provisional Government the Russian Republic was proclaimed by Minister-President Kerensky. The elections were scheduled for 25 [O.S. 12] November 1917.

Ministers-Chairmen of the Russian Provisional Government
#		Picture	Name	Term of office		Party
	1		Georgy Lvov (1861–1925)	15 [O.S. 2] March 1917	21 [O.S. 8] July 1917	KD
	2		Alexander Kerensky (1881–1970)	21 [O.S. 8] July 1917	7 November [O.S. 25 October] 1917	PSR (Trudovik faction)

Between the finalization of candidate lists and the election, the October Revolution broke out, which ended the reign of the Provisional Government. A new government took charge of the country, the Council of People's Commissars. Although it still pledged to go ahead with the election, the Bolsheviks banned most of the parties that were not left-wing, forcefully disbanishing the elected Constituent Assembly nonetheless.

Formally, the head of state was the Chairman of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee, but de facto the Bolshevik-controlled area was headed by Vladimir Lenin as the leader of the party and Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars.

Chairmen of All-Russian Central Executive Committee
#		Picture	Name	Term of office		Party
	1		Lev Kamenev (1883–1936)	9 November [O.S. 27 October] 1917	21 [O.S. 8] November 1917	RSDLP(b)
	2		Yakov Sverdlov (1885–1919)	21 [O.S. 8] November 1917	16 March 1919 †	RSDLP(b)→ RCP(b) (renaming)
	—		Mikhail Vladimirsky Acting	16 March 1919	30 March 1919	RCP(b)
	3		Mikhail Kalinin (1875–1946)	30 March 1919	30 December 1922

On 30 December 1922, the RSFSR became part of the Soviet Union. Until 1938, the head of the Russian Central Executive Committee remained the head of the republic. In 1938, the Supreme Council of the RSFSR was formed. Prior to 1990, de jure leader of the RSFSR, the Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Council, exercised only nominal duties, while most of the actual power both in the republic and the overall union was in the hands of the Bolshevik Party leaders. Following the adoption of amendments to the Constitution in 1989, the office of Chairman of the Presidium was removed, and the position of the Russian head of state passed directly to the Chairman of the Supreme Soviet in May 1990.

#		Picture	Name	Term of office		Party
Chairman of All-Russian Central Executive Committee
	3		Mikhail Kalinin (1875–1946)	30 December 1922	15 July 1938	AUCP(b)
Chairmen of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of RSFSR
	1		Aleksei Badayev (1883–1951)	19 July 1938	4 March 1944	AUCP(b)
	—		Ivan Vlasov Acting	9 April 1943
	2		Nikolai Shvernik (1888–1970)	4 March 1944	25 June 1946
	3		Ivan Vlasov (1903–1969)	25 June 1946	7 July 1950
	4		Mikhail Tarasov (1899–1970)	7 July 1950	16 April 1959	AUCP(b)→ CPSU (renaming)
	5		Nikolai Ignatov (1901–1966)	16 April 1959	26 November 1959	CPSU
	6		Nikolai Organov (1901–1982)	26 November 1959	20 December 1962
	7		Nikolai Ignatov (1901–1966)	20 December 1962	14 November 1966 †
	—		Pyotr Sysoyev Acting	14 November 1966	23 December 1966
	8		Mikhail Yasnov (1906–1991)	23 December 1966	26 March 1985
	9		Vladimir Orlov (1921–1999)	26 March 1985	3 October 1988
	10		Vitaly Vorotnikov (1926–2012)	3 October 1988	29 May 1990
Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of RSFSR
	1		Boris Yeltsin (1931–2007)	29 May 1990	10 July 1991	CPSU→Independent

On March 17, 1991, the all-Russian referendum on the introduction of the post of President of Russia was held. More than 70% of citizens voted for the introduction of the post of President, elected by direct vote. On 12 June 1991, Boris Yeltsin won 57% of the popular vote in the presidential election. Yeltsin's inauguration took place on 10 July, with the subsequent events of the next half a year making him a head of an independent post-Soviet state, that was renamed to "Russian Federation" on 25 December.

Presidents of the Russian Federation
#		Picture	Name	Term of office		Elected	Party
	1		Boris Yeltsin (1931–2007)	10 July 1991	31 December 1999 (resigned)	1991	Independent
1996
		—		Vladimir Putin Acting	31 December 1999	7 May 2000
	2	Vladimir Putin (b. 1952)		7 May 2000	7 May 2008	2000
2004
	3		Dmitry Medvedev (b. 1965)	7 May 2008	7 May 2012	2008	United Russia
	4		Vladimir Putin (b. 1952)	7 May 2012	incumbent term expires 7 May 2024	2012
						2018	Independent