1997 Russian gubernatorial elections

← 1996 12 January – 28 December 1997 1998 →
14 Heads of Federal Subjects from 89
Leader Gennady Zyuganov Sergey Filatov Alliance People's Patriotic Union of Russia (NPSR) All-Russian Coordination Council (OKS)

Gubernatorial elections in 1997 took place in 14 regions of the Russian Federation.

Background

In January–March 1997, the process of holding first gubernatorial elections in all regions of Russia, which began in September 1996, was practically completed. By January 1, six governors-appointees remained in power: Leonid Roketsky in Tyumen Oblast, Yury Lyashko in Amur Oblast, Bolot Ayushiyev in ABAO, Nikolai Sevryugin in Tula Oblast, Mikhail Kislyuk in Kemerovo Oblast and Anatoly Yakimov in Evenkia. By April only Kislyuk remained in office, instead of whom Aman Tuleyev was appointed on June 30.

In the first quarter of 1997, re-elections of presidents of four republics (Mari El, Adygea, Kabardino-Balkaria, Tuva) and presidential elections in the breakaway Chechen Republic of Ichkeria were also held. In the summer, early elections were held for the governors of Nizhny Novgorod and Irkutsk Oblasts after resignations of Boris Nemtsov and Yury Nozhikov, and in the fall the head of Kemerovo Oblast administration was elected.

By decision of the legislative assemblies, re-elections of the head of the administration of Oryol Oblast and the head of the Komi Republic were held six months ahead of schedule. In December, the re-election in Chuvashia and the first election of the Head of the Altai Republic took place.

Results

Federal Subject	Date	Incumbent		Incumbent status	Candidates	Governor-elect
Adygea	12 January		Aslan Dzharimov	Elected 1992	Y Aslan Dzharimov 57.80% Aslanbiy Sovmiz 19.51% Kazbek Tsiku (CPRF) 15.76%		Aslan Dzharimov
Kabardino-Balkaria	12 January		Valery Kokov	Elected 1992	Y Valery Kokov 99.35% (ran unopposed)		Valery Kokov
Agin-Buryat AO (revote)	23 February		Bolot Ayushiyev	Appointed 1996, removed on 6 February 1997	Y Bair Zhamsuyev (OKS) 44.56% Yury Dondokov 33.03% Bato-Tsyren Abiduyev 9.39% Namdak Zhambalov 8.71%		Bair Zhamsuyev (OKS)
Tuva	16 March		Sherig-ool Oorzhak	Elected 1992	Y Sherig-ool Oorzhak 70.61% Kaadyr-ool Bicheldey 10.13% Aleksandr Kashin (LDPR) 8.20%		Sherig-ool Oorzhak
Evenkia (revote)	16 March		Anatoly Yakimov	Appointed 1991	Y Aleksandr Bokovikov (NPSR) 49.00% Anatoly Yakimov (OKS) 40.45%		Aleksandr Bokovikov (NPSR)
Amur Oblast (revote)	23 March		Yury Lyashko	Appointed 1996	Y Anatoly Belonogov (CPRF/NPSR) 60.51% Yury Lyashko (OKS) 24.41% Vera Sebina (LDPR) 2.32% Aleksandr Surat 2.07%		Anatoly Belonogov (CPRF/NPSR)
Tula Oblast	23 March		Nikolai Sevryugin	Appointed 1995	Y Vasily Starodubtsev (CPRF/NPSR) 62.82% Viktor Sokolovsky 15.08% Nikolai Sevryugin (NDR) 4.76%		Vasily Starodubtsev (CPRF/NPSR)
Nizhny Novgorod Oblast	29 June, 13 July		Boris Nemtsov	Resigned from office	Y Ivan Sklyarov 40.95% / 52% Gennady Khodyrev (CPRF) 37.84% / 42% Vadim Bulavinov 8.15% Nina Zvereva 6.88%		Ivan Sklyarov
Irkutsk Oblast	27 July		Yury Nozhikov	Resigned from office	Y Boris Govorin (NDR/OKS) 53.54% Sergey Levchenko (CPRF/NPSR) 20.02% Viktor Mashinsky 14.84% Ivan Shchadov 7.72%		Boris Govorin (NDR/OKS)
Kemerovo Oblast	19 October		Aman Tuleyev	Appointed 1997	Y Aman Tuleyev (NPSR) 94.54% Viktor Medikov 2.08% Nina Ostanina 0.38%		Aman Tuleyev (NPSR)
Oryol Oblast	26 October		Yegor Stroyev	Elected 1993	Y Yegor Stroyev 95.1%		Yegor Stroyev (NDR)
Komi	30 November		Yury Spiridonov	Elected 1994	Y Yury Spiridonov (NDR) 57.19% Rita Chistokhodova 19.83% Vasily Kuznetsov (CPRF) 9.17%		Yury Spiridonov (NDR)
Altai Republic	14 December		Vladilen Volkov	PM from August 1997	Y Semyon Zubakin (DVR) 23.5% Yury Antaradonov 23.28% Viktor Romashkin (CPRF) 17.62% Vladimir Petrov 13.89% Vladilen Volkov 11.97%		Semyon Zubakin (DVR)
Chuvashia[1]	28 December		Nikolay Fyodorov/Enver Ablyakimov	Elected 1993	Y Nikolay Fyodorov / Lev Kurakov 56.70% Valentin Shurchanov / Nikolay Grigoryev (CPRF) 34.85%		Nikolay Fyodorov / Lev Kurakov