Official relations between Russia and Indonesia began in the late 19th century when Russian consul M.M. Bakunin was appointed to Batavia, the then administrative center of the Dutch East Indies. He spent several years there and upon returning home wrote the book "Tropical Holland. Five Years on the Island of Java," which remains a valuable source of information about the history, culture, ethnography, and philology of Indonesia.

Modern relations with Indonesia began after its declaration of independence on August 17, 1945. Initially, they involved supporting Indonesia in the UN in its national liberation struggle. Indonesia became a member of the UN on September 28, 1950.

Diplomatic relations between the countries began on February 3, 1950, when Mohamad Hatta, Prime Minister of the United States of Indonesia, sent a telegram to Soviet Foreign Minister A.Y. Vyshinsky, expressing readiness to start negotiations on establishing diplomatic relations.

After President Sukarno's visit to Russia, active cooperation began, especially in the military sphere. However, after the events of 1965, when anti-communist repressions occurred in Indonesia, relations between the countries noticeably cooled.

A new stage in relations began in the late 1980s when President Suharto visited the USSR. Since then, ties between Russia and Indonesia have developed independently of changes in political leadership in both countries.

Currently, the Ambassador of the Russian Federation in Indonesia is Lyudmila Georgievna Vorobyova.