The Information technology sector in Russia employed around 300,000 people in 2012,^[1] and contributed 1.2% of the country's GDP in 2015.^[2] The sector is concentrated in the cities of Moscow and Saint Petersburg.^[1]

The Russian IT sector drew comparatively little from Soviet-era institutions.^[3] Russian IT companies were started in the early 1990s by founders with an academic background seeking to find a place in the new market economy.^[3] Piracy was widespread in the country, with an estimated 90% of all software in Russia being pirated in 1997.^[4]

In the 1990s, companies such as Vist began assembling computers out of foreign-made components, targeting small businesses and families who could not afford foreign brands like IBM and Compaq.^[5] DVM Computer gained some traction in the laptop market with its RoverBook brand.^[6] The Russian Computer Association (Российская компьютерная ассоциация) was the trade association representing the sector.^[7] In 1997 Yandex was established in Moscow.^[8]

In 1999 MCST developed the Elbrus 2000 processor, which was initially hyped as an Itanium killer,^[9] but the project was hampered by a chronic lack of funding.^[10]

Over time, Russian companies moved to software development, an activity which enjoyed higher margins.^[1] Local companies cater to the specific needs of the Russian market, such as ERP software developed by 1C Company with a focus on Russian accounting rules.^[11] Kaspersky Labs is described as the flagship company of the Russian IT industry.^[12] Exports of software and IT services from Russia reached $7 billion in 2015, up from $2.8 billion in 2009.^[13]

In 2012 MCST launched the NT-ElbrusS, a rugged laptop for military applications.^[14]

In the aftermath of the War in Donbass and the annexation of Crimea, the Ukrainian government banned a number of Russian IT companies from conducting business in the country.^[15]

In June 2015 the Russian parliament passed a law to establish a preference system for software developed in Russia.^[16]

Worsening relations between the United States and Russia have led some to advocate a purge of Russian software.^[17]

List of the largest internet companies based in Russia, according to the local version of Forbes:^[18]

• List of Russian IT developers