Gubernatorial elections in 2001 took place in 17 regions of the Russian Federation.

With some delay, elections were held for the governors of Nenets and Taymyr Autonomous Okrugs, whose terms of office expired back in December 2000.

Early elections were held in Primorsky Krai after resignation of Yevgeny Nazdratenko.

On 1 December 2001 Fatherland – All Russia party (OVR), founded and supported by a number of influential governors, officially merged with pro-Putin Unity into United Russia.

Previously that year members of these two center-right parties had occasionally met each other in different gubernatorial races.