[1] They were the first parliamentary elections in post-Soviet Russia and the only time to the Federation Council,[2] with future members appointed by provincial legislatures and governors.

President Boris Yeltsin hoped to resolve the political turmoil by decreeing for the election to the new Russian parliament and the constitutional referendum to take place on 12 December 1993.

To secure a place on a single-member district ballot, candidates had to gather the signatures of at least 1.0 percent of the constituency electorate.

The use of the mixed system for the election of the Duma produced a large number of deputies which were unaffiliated with any electoral bloc.

Hence, the parliamentary groups in the first two-year term of the Duma showed lack of stability and its numbers may be given only with approximation.