The reaction of the polymeric carbonyl complex [RuCl2(CO)2]x with 2-monosubstituted and 1,2-disubstituted benzimidazoles and 1,4-bis(benzimidazol- 2-yl)benzene (L9) in 2-methoxyethanol produces various coloured complexes of the formulae [Ru(CO)2Cl2(L)2]?xH2O (L = 1-(o-hydroxybenzyl)-2-(o-hydroxyphenyl)benzimidazole (L1), 1-(o-hydroxyphenyl)benzimidazole (L4), 1-(p-hydroxyphenyl)benzimidazole (L5), 1-(p-chlorobenzyl)-2-p-chlorophenyl) benzimidazole (L7), 1-[1-(dimethylamino)benzyl]-2-[1-(dimethylamino) phenyl]benzimidazole (L10), x = 0; L = 2-benzylbenzimidazole (L8), 1,4-bis(benzimidazol-2-yl)benzene (L9), x = 2; L = 1-(o-chlorobenzyl)-1-(o-chlorophenyl)benzimidazole (L6); x = 3), [Ru(CO)2Cl(L2)3]Cl?3H2O and [Ru(CO)2(L3)4]Cl2?3H2O (L2 = 1-(m-hydroxybenzyl)-2-(m-hydroxyphenyl)- benzimidazole; L3 = 1-(p-hydroxybenzyl)-2-(p-hydroxyphenyl)benzimidazole). The complexes were characterized by elemental analysis, conductivity measurements, as well as infrared, electronic, 1H- and 13C-NMR spectral studies.