Several homoleptic and bis-heteroleptic tris-ligated polypyridine complexes of Ru(II) have been prepared in the zeolite Y supercages. Ru(L)n(L')3-n-Y (where n = 0, 1, 2, 3 and L, L' = bpy, dmb, mmb, and bpz) complexes have been investigated by electronic absorption, electronic emission, resonance Raman, and time-resolved resonance Raman spectroscopies. Excited-state lifetimes of the entrapped complexes have been measured and their temperature dependence established. While entrapment of the complexes in the zeolite matrix introduces no major modifications in structure or electron distribution, it does induce changes in the efficiency of various excited state energy dissipation pathways, the major effect being an increase in the energy of the metal-centered dd excited states which leads to elimination of one of the major decay and decomposition pathways.