Sorption of hydrogen and oxygen on ruthenium in 1N H,SO, have been investigated by potentiodynamic and potentiostatic methods. It has been shown that adsorption and absorption of hydrogen and oxygen take place on a smooth ruthenium electrode. The solubility of hydrogen grows linearly with potential in the range 0.41-OG4 V, whereas the solubiiity of oxygen increases linearly with potential in the range O-37-1.3 V. Adsorption of hydrogen on a smooth ruthenium electrode takes place in the potential range 0~4-0~0 V; on ruthenized ruthenium electrode the main portion of hydrogen is adsorbed at potentials 0.2-0.0 V. No maxima corresponding to specific types of chemisorbed oxygen exist on the notentiodvnamic curves of oxygen adsorption. The oxygen adsorption rate on ruthenium is of the same order as on platinum. Thekinetics of methanol oxidation on smooth and ruthenized ruthenium electrodes were investigated. The chemisorption of methanol was found to be the limiting step in both cases in the potential range Wl-l.OV; the chemisorption rate on smooth ruthenium exceeds the chemisorption rate on ruthenized ruthenium electrode by two orders of magnitude. This result is consistent with the difference in the surface bond energies of adsorbed hydrogen for smooth and ruthenized ruthenium.