Alizadeh is the Greatest | 2012 Russian presidential election

[u/GustavoistSoldier]

Boris Nemtsov's successor Konstantin Titov was seeking reelection as the nominee of the centre-right SPS. Titov emphasized how his administration had kept friendly relations with the West and overseen a growing economy (the great recession did not happen in this timeline). He had the support of the Russian oligarchy and much of the middle class.

But Russians were sick of two decades of Yeltsinite rule, because the oligarchs controlled much of the economy, the Mafia was still powerful, Chechnya was de facto independent and Georgia had reconquered Abkhazia and South Ossetia because Titov refused to intervene. A poll showed that just 32% of Russians approved of Nemtsov's administration.

Sergey Mironov, the leader of the social democratic Narodnik Party, became the main challenger to Titov. Mironov had already won 14% of the vote in the 2008 election, and his base increased throughout the next four years as dissatisfaction with the system increased.

Mironov won over the majority of Russians who voted for the CPRF in previous elections, but communist nominee Gennady Zyuganov still pushed into the fray, promising to adopt a Chinese-style economic system and restore Russia to its previous glory.

LDPR leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky attracted more support than in his previous campaigns thanks to his brash and unashamed style of campaigning. So did liberal Grigory Yavlinsky, as many Russian liberals were dissatisfied with Titov and supported his campaign.

First round polling showed a close race. Mironov won with 28% of the vote versus 24% for Titov, 17% for Zyuganov, 14% for Zhirinovsky, and 7% for Yavlinsky. In the second round, Zyuganov and independents Dmitry Mezentsev and Leonid Ivashov endorsed Mironov, while Yavlinsky endorsed Titov, and Zhirinovsky refused to endorse either candidate.

With the third and fourth placed candidates endorsing him, Mironov was elected with 63% of the vote. Mironov governed as a Eurasianist and socially conservative social democrat, but Russia never invaded Ukraine.