In 1933, the Soviet government under Stalin recriminalised sex between men. On 7 March 1934, Article 121 was added to the criminal code for the entire Soviet Union that expressly prohibited only male homosexuality, with up to five years of hard labour in prison. There were no criminal statutes regarding sex between women

Homosexuality in Russia was decriminalized in 1917.

While proposed in the draft penal code of 1754, sodomy was not criminalised until the 1835 penal code.

Before the 1835 penal code, homosexuality was not criminalised and several imperial Russian cities are described as the queer hotspots of the time.

In 2013, Russia introduced a law known as "for the Purpose of Protecting Children from Information Advocating for a Denial of Traditional Family Values" (also known as the "gay propaganda law") which bans the dissemination of “propaganda for nontraditional sexual relationships,” broadly understood to be lesbian, gay, and bisexual relationships, among under-18s. According to the Russian government, this law is aimed to "protect" children from being exposed to homosexuality, since it goes against "traditional family values."

People found guilty of breaking the law face fines of between 4,000 and 5,000 rubles; government officials face fines of 40,000 to 50,000 rubles; and organizations, up to 1 million rubles or a suspension of activity for up to 90 days. Heavier fines may be imposed for the same actions if the act was carried out using mass media and telecommunications, including the Internet. Foreigners can be arrested and detained for up to 15 days (or fined up to 5,000 rubles) and then deported.

In December 2022, Russia expanded the law to cover all ages, instead of only minors, effectively making any display or mention of LGBT relationships and lifestyles on public platforms illegal. The penalties were also increased, with individuals now facing fines of up to 400,000 rubles; and organizations, up to 5 million rubles. The dissemination of materials promoting gender dysphoria among minors was also banned.

In 2006, the Ryazan Oblast passed a law prohibiting the promotion of "propaganda" of homosexuality to minors, the first known censorship law in Russia. A known case in 2010 of Irina Fedotova had her convicted and forced to pay a fine of 1500 rubles for displaying two posters that said "Homosexuality is normal" and "I am proud of my homosexuality" near a secondary school. While Russia's Constitutional Court found the conviction lawful, a UN Human Rights Committee found it to be discriminatory.

Nine more regions would pass similar laws until it was made federal law in 2013.

Until 2006, there was no known censorship of LGBTIQ+ topics in Russia. However, there were repeated calls to recriminalise homosexuality after the 1993 decriminalisation.

Transgender people are able to change their gender on identification documents after being issued a document from a health institution confirming the surgical requirements.

Until 1972, it was not possible to change your legal gender in Russia.

Until 2023, gender-affirming healthcare was legal for adults in Russia. While minors had more difficulty, Russians between the ages of 15 and 18 could give informed consent but surgery was not provided.

Until a few years after decriminalisation, an unequal age of consent remained.

Until 1993, homosexuality was illegal in Russia nationwide.