There are nine time zones in Russia, which currently observe times ranging from UTC+03 to UTC+12.

Since March 2011, the time zones are as follows:

The only federal subjects to be in more than one time zone are the Sakha Republic, which is separated into areas which observe the Yakutsk, Vladivostok and Magadan time zones, and Sakhalin Oblast, which is in the Vladivostok (island Sakhalin) and Magadan time zones (Kuril Islands).

Tz database

http://efele.net/maps/tz/russia - data from 2009

The list below shows the 16 zones for Russia as defined in the zone file of the tz database. The tz database aims to identify regions that had the same time offset rules since 1970.

Two federal subjects are contained in more than one tz zone.

The Sakha Republic is divided into three:

• west
• central
• east

Sakhalin Oblast is divided into two:

• Sakhalin Island
• Kuril Islands

Two zones cover area that did not observe the same rule set since 1970, all now using Omsk Time:

• Asia/Omsk
  • Omsk Oblast changed from UTC+05 to UTC+06 on January 19, 1992,
  • Altai Krai, Altai Republic changed from UTC+07 to UTC+06 on May 28, 1995
• Asia/Novosibirsk
  • Novosibirsk Oblast changed from UTC+07 to UTC+06 on May 23, 1993,
  • Tomsk Oblast changed from UTC+07 to UTC+06 on May 1, 2002.

Note: Since daylight-saving time is considered to be observed year-round in Russia, the standard UTC offsets in the tz database are one hour behind civil time in all Russian time zones.

If available the change column lists the offset changes that caused a creation of a new zone in the tz database.

"Initial zone" means that already in 1970 there was a difference in time offset from the offsets in any other zone.

Daylight saving time

Daylight saving time in Russia was originally introduced on July 1, 1917 by a decree of the Russian Provisional Government. However, it was abandoned by a Decree of the Soviet government five months later.

Daylight saving time was reintroduced in the USSR on April 1, 1981, by a decision of the Council of Ministers of the USSR. Daylight saving time began on the 1st of April and ended on the 1st of October each year, until mid-1984, when the USSR began following European daylight saving time rules, moving clocks forward one hour at 02:00 local winter time on the last Sunday in March, and back one hour at 03:00 local daylight time on the last Sunday in September until 1995, after which the change back occurred on the last Sunday in October. The usage of daylight saving time continued after the Soviet collapse but ended in 2011, when Russia stopped observing daylight saving time.

Developments

Historic time zones in Russia from 2002 to 2010

Kaliningrad Time UTC+2   Moscow Time UTC+3   Samara Time UTC+4   Yekaterinburg Time UTC+5

Omsk Time/ Novosibirsk Time UTC+6   Krasnoyarsk Time UTC+7   Irkutsk Time UTC+8

Yakutsk Time UTC+9   Vladivostok Time UTC+10   Magadan Time UTC+11   Kamchatka Time UTC+12

In the Russian Empire, most of the nation observed solar time. During the late 19th Century, Moscow Mean Time was introduced, originally at UTC+02:30. However, when the Soviet Union was created, Moscow Time became UTC+02 and the various other time zones were introduced throughout Russia and the rest of the USSR. On June 21, 1930, the Soviet Union advanced all clocks by one hour, effectively making the nation run on daylight saving time all year. Russia and most republics in the Soviet Union turned their clocks back one hour on Mar 31, 1991, but Russia reversed this the following year.

In 1993, Novosibirsk Oblast changed its time zone from MSK+4 to MSK+3.

In 1995, Altai Krai changed its time zone from MSK+4 to MSK+3.

In 2002, Tomsk Oblast changed its time zone from MSK+4 to MSK+3.

In November 2009, President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev proposed reducing the number of time zones spanning the country, as well as the abolition of daylight saving time.

On March 28, 2010, the following changes were introduced, which, in particular, led to abolition of two of the eleven time zones.

• The Udmurt Republic and Samara Oblast started using Moscow Time, thus eliminating Samara Time (MSK+1 or UTC+4 without DST).
• Kemerovo Oblast started using Omsk Time.
• Chukotka Autonomous Okrug and Kamchatka Krai started using Magadan Time, thus eliminating Kamchatka Time (MSK+9 or UTC+12 without DST).

Although the Russian government wants to reduce the number of time zones even further, there have been protests in far-eastern Russia on the recent changes, including protests and a 20,000-strong petition in support of Kamchatka returning to UTC+12.

On February 8, 2011, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev issued a decree that Russia would observe year-round DST. Under the decree, all clocks in Russia were advanced one hour on 27 March 2011 as usual, but are not to change back the following October, effectively making Moscow Time UTC+4 permanently. Since this reform, the most of Russian territories have a standard time ahead of mean solar time, including time in some cites ahead it even by two hours. For example, St.Petersburg at 30°E (+2.0 h solar time) has UTC+4, Yekaterinburg at 60°E (+4.0 h) has UTC+6, and Vladivostok at 132°E (+8.8 h) has UTC+11.

Time in Sakha Republic

Sakha Republic has three UTC offset time zones.

In 2011 some areas will switch from Vladivostok to Yakutsk: 1. Some islands of Bulunsky District, 2. Tomponsky District, 3. Ust-Maysky District.

Some areas will switch from Magadan to Vladivostok: Oymyakonsky District.

• 
• 

  2011

Green Yakutsk Time (MSK+6), limegreen Vladivostok Time (MSK+7), red Magadan Time (MSK+8).

Railway time

All timetables on Russian Railways (except Kaliningrad and Sakhalin railways) follow Moscow Time. Airports however follow local time.

See also

• Decree time