Effects of different life events on life satisfaction in the Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey

•Using Russian panel data we analyse the effect of life events on life satisfaction.•We analyse the effects of unemployment, marriage, divorce and widowhood.•Adaptation to unemployment, marriage, divorce and widowhood seldom occurs.•Anticipation to such events is more common.

This paper analyses the relation between unemployment, marriage, divorce, widowhood and subjective well-being using Russian panel data. Contrary to Clark et al. (2008) and Clark and Georgellis (2013), we find little evidence of adaptation to these life events.