Prostitution laws in RussiaРоссия
In Russia, engaging in prostitution is an administrative offence fined RUB 1,500–2,000 (Article 6.11 of the Code of Administrative Offences). Receiving income from another person's prostitution is fined RUB 2,000–2,500 or punished with 10 to 15 days' administrative arrest (Article 6.12). The Criminal Code punishes drawing a person into prostitution or compelling them to continue (Article 240) and organising prostitution, keeping dens or systematically providing premises for it (Article 241; fine of RUB 100,000–500,000, forced labour or up to five years). Buying sex from an adult is not an offence. Advertising sexual services is barred by the Federal Law on Advertising, which prohibits advertising goods and services whose sale is prohibited, and websites carrying such information can be added to the federal blocking register on the basis of a court decision.
Legal model
Selling and buying prohibited. Selling sex is an offence (criminal or administrative), whether or not buying is.
Selling sex is an administrative offence (Article 6.11 of the Code of Administrative Offences, fine of RUB 1,500–2,000). Buying from an adult is not an offence. Profiting from another person's prostitution is an administrative offence, and drawing people into prostitution or organising it are crimes.[1][2]
At a glance
| Question | Status | In short |
|---|---|---|
| Selling sexual services | Illegal Administrative offence | Engaging in prostitution is an administrative offence punishable by a fine of RUB 1,500–2,000.[1] |
| Buying sexual services | Legal | Paying an adult for sex is not an offence; Article 6.11 targets the person engaging in prostitution, and no offence directed at adult buyers exists in the provisions checked.[1][2] |
| Brothels and managed venues | Illegal Criminal offence | Organising prostitution by others, keeping dens for prostitution or systematically providing premises for it is punishable by a fine of RUB 100,000–500,000, forced labour of up to five years or up to five years' imprisonment; up to six years in aggravated cases.[2] |
| Third parties profiting (procuring / pimping) | Illegal Criminal offence | Receiving income from another person's prostitution is an administrative offence (RUB 2,000–2,500 or 10 to 15 days' arrest). Drawing a person into prostitution or compelling them to continue is a crime punishable by a fine of up to RUB 200,000 or other penalties, and organising prostitution falls under Article 241.[2][3][4] |
| Advertising sexual services | Illegal | The Federal Law on Advertising prohibits advertising goods whose sale is prohibited by law, and defines goods to include services. Sites carrying information whose distribution is prohibited can be entered in the federal blocking register on the basis of a court decision.[5][6][7] |
The law in detail
Selling sexual services
Engaging in prostitution is an administrative offence punishable by a fine of RUB 1,500–2,000.[1]
Note. The official portal pravo.gov.ru could not be reached from our location on 2026-10-30; the text was checked in the КонсультантПлюс database (version of 4 August 2026).
Checked 30 October 2026
Buying sexual services
Paying an adult for sex is not an offence; Article 6.11 targets the person engaging in prostitution, and no offence directed at adult buyers exists in the provisions checked.[1][2]
Confidence: medium. Absence of a buyer offence was checked in the Code of Administrative Offences (Chapter 6) and Criminal Code Articles 240–241 only.
Checked 30 October 2026
Brothels and managed venues
Organising prostitution by others, keeping dens for prostitution or systematically providing premises for it is punishable by a fine of RUB 100,000–500,000, forced labour of up to five years or up to five years' imprisonment; up to six years in aggravated cases.[2]
Note. The official portal pravo.gov.ru could not be reached from our location on 2026-10-30; the text was checked in the КонсультантПлюс database (version of 4 August 2026).
Checked 30 October 2026
Third parties profiting (procuring / pimping)
Receiving income from another person's prostitution is an administrative offence (RUB 2,000–2,500 or 10 to 15 days' arrest). Drawing a person into prostitution or compelling them to continue is a crime punishable by a fine of up to RUB 200,000 or other penalties, and organising prostitution falls under Article 241.[2][3][4]
Note. The official portal pravo.gov.ru could not be reached from our location on 2026-10-30; the text was checked in the КонсультантПлюс database (version of 4 August 2026).
Checked 30 October 2026
Advertising sexual services
The Federal Law on Advertising prohibits advertising goods whose sale is prohibited by law, and defines goods to include services. Sites carrying information whose distribution is prohibited can be entered in the federal blocking register on the basis of a court decision.[5][6][7]
Confidence: medium. The application of these provisions to sexual-services ads is an inference from their wording; neither text names prostitution, and administrative sanctions for advertising breaches and blocking practice were not checked for this overview.
Checked 30 October 2026
Key legislation
| Law | What it does here | In force |
|---|---|---|
| КоАП РФ Статья 6.11. Занятие проституцией Code of Administrative Offences (2001), Articles 6.11–6.12 ст. 6.11 · ст. 6.12 | Administrative offences of engaging in prostitution and profiting from another's prostitution.[1] | |
| УК РФ Статья 241. Организация занятия проституцией Criminal Code (1996), Articles 240–241 ст. 240 · ст. 241 | Crimes of drawing people into prostitution and organising it.[2] | |
| Федеральный закон от 13.03.2006 N 38-ФЗ «О рекламе», Статья 7. Объекты рекламирования, реклама которых не допускается Federal Law No. 38-FZ on Advertising (2006) ст. 7 | Prohibits advertising of goods and services whose sale is prohibited.[5] |
Sources
- КоАП РФ Статья 6.11. Занятие проституцией (Code of Administrative Offences, Article 6.11 Engaging in prostitution). КонсультантПлюс (unofficial consolidated text). legislation · accessed 30 October 2026
- УК РФ Статья 241. Организация занятия проституцией (Criminal Code, Article 241 Organising prostitution). КонсультантПлюс (unofficial consolidated text). legislation · accessed 30 October 2026
- КоАП РФ Статья 6.12. Получение дохода от занятия проституцией, если этот доход связан с занятием другого лица проституцией (Code of Administrative Offences, Article 6.12 Receiving income from another person's prostitution). КонсультантПлюс (unofficial consolidated text). legislation · accessed 30 October 2026
- УК РФ Статья 240. Вовлечение в занятие проституцией (Criminal Code, Article 240 Drawing into prostitution). КонсультантПлюс (unofficial consolidated text). legislation · accessed 30 October 2026
- Федеральный закон от 13.03.2006 N 38-ФЗ «О рекламе», Статья 7. Объекты рекламирования, реклама которых не допускается (Federal Law on Advertising, Article 7 Objects whose advertising is not permitted). КонсультантПлюс (unofficial consolidated text). legislation · accessed 30 October 2026
- Федеральный закон от 13.03.2006 N 38-ФЗ «О рекламе», Статья 3. Основные понятия (Federal Law on Advertising, Article 3 Definitions). КонсультантПлюс (unofficial consolidated text). legislation · accessed 30 October 2026
- Федеральный закон от 27.07.2006 N 149-ФЗ «Об информации, информационных технологиях и о защите информации», Статья 15.1 (Federal Law on Information, Article 15.1 Unified register of blocked sites). КонсультантПлюс (unofficial consolidated text). legislation · accessed 30 October 2026