The Russian Federation is the largest country in the world occupying one-third of Eurasia and it has enormous water resources. Fish from inland waters has always been a central part of the Russian diet and a major contributor to national food security. Inland fisheries are highly diversified and provide employment to 40 500 fishers in industrial fisheries. In addition an estimated 2.4 million amateur and recreational fishers and around 150 000 Indigenous Peoples fish for subsistence and small-scale trade. Historic production figures surpassed 500 000 tonnes of fish from Russian inland fisheries, but have declined over the last 40 years, and current official catches are around 270 000 tonnes. However, unrecorded catches by recreational/amateur fishers add up to an estimated 100 000 tonnes annually, and subsistence catches by Indigenous Peoples probably add another 67 000 tonnes; and finally, illegal catches may add another 50 000 tonnes, suggesting that total landings are not far from what was caught in the past. The Russian Federation has invested significant resources and efforts into developing and managing inland fisheries and aquaculture. The review presents the current management structure and summarizes the comprehensive legislation governing inland fisheries, including the agreements with neighbouring countries sharing some of the major waterbodies or rivers.