diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7f17e0f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+# =============================================================================
+# SochDB Python SDK — Continuous Integration
+# =============================================================================
+#
+# Runs on every push to main and every pull request against main. Each matrix
+# cell runs:
+#
+#   - `ruff check` on the E9 / F63 / F7 rule sets (syntax + logic errors)
+#   - `python -m compileall` (per-Python-version syntax coverage)
+#   - `import sochdb` smoke test (guards against module-level breakage)
+#
+# We deliberately do NOT run the full pytest suite here: the tests exercise the
+# embedded FFI path, which needs the pre-built Rust libraries from the
+# sochdb/sochdb release page (see release.yml for how those are downloaded).
+# Wiring that up is left to a follow-up CI PR.
+#
+# The matrix covers every Python version listed in pyproject.toml's classifiers
+# (3.9 through 3.13). Ubuntu-only because, without native binaries, additional
+# OSes add cost without signal.
+# =============================================================================
+
+name: CI
+
+on:
+  push:
+    branches: [main]
+  pull_request:
+    branches: [main]
+  workflow_dispatch:
+
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+
+concurrency:
+  group: ci-${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref }}
+  cancel-in-progress: true
+
+jobs:
+  python-matrix:
+    name: Python ${{ matrix.python-version }}
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 10
+    strategy:
+      fail-fast: false
+      matrix:
+        python-version: ["3.9", "3.10", "3.11", "3.12", "3.13"]
+
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - name: Set up Python ${{ matrix.python-version }}
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v5
+        with:
+          python-version: ${{ matrix.python-version }}
+          cache: pip
+          cache-dependency-path: pyproject.toml
+
+      - name: Install SDK (editable) and dev dependencies
+        run: |
+          python -m pip install --upgrade pip
+          python -m pip install -e ".[dev]"
+
+      - name: Ruff — syntax and logic checks
+        run: |
+          ruff check \
+            --select E9,F63,F7 \
+            --exclude "src/sochdb/sochdb_pb2.py,src/sochdb/sochdb_pb2_grpc.py,src/sochdb/proto/*_pb2*.py" \
+            src/ tests/
+
+      - name: Byte-compile source
+        run: python -m compileall -q src/sochdb
+
+      - name: Import smoke test (native FFI is lazy — no binary needed)
+        run: |
+          python -c "import sochdb; print('sochdb', sochdb.__version__, 'core', sochdb.__core_version__)"
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 0b6643a..cee7cc6 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -5,6 +5,20 @@ All notable changes to the SochDB Python SDK will be documented in this file.
 The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/),
 and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.html).
 
+## [Unreleased]
+
+### Added
+
+- **CI workflow** (`.github/workflows/ci.yml`) — runs on every push to `main`
+  and every pull request against `main`, matrixed across Python 3.9–3.13. Each
+  cell runs `ruff check` on the `E9`/`F63`/`F7` rule sets, `python -m compileall`
+  for per-version syntax coverage, and an `import sochdb` smoke test. Does not
+  yet run the full pytest suite (that requires the pre-built Rust FFI libraries
+  from the `sochdb/sochdb` release page — follow-up CI PR).
+- **CI status badge** in `README.md` linking to the workflow.
+- **`ruff>=0.5`** added to the `[dev]` extras so `pip install -e ".[dev]"`
+  installs the same linter CI runs.
+
 ## [0.8.1] - 2026-06-24
 
 ### Changed
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 4eb4a7e..464ab1c 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 # SochDB Python SDK
 
+[![CI](https://github.com/sochdb/sochdb-python-sdk/actions/workflows/ci.yml/badge.svg)](https://github.com/sochdb/sochdb-python-sdk/actions/workflows/ci.yml)
+
 **Dual-mode architecture: Embedded (FFI) + Server (gRPC/IPC)**  
 Choose the deployment mode that fits your needs.
 
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index d0e4f43..0259abf 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ dev = [
     "pytest>=7.0",
     "pytest-cov>=4.0",
     "faker>=18.0",
+    "ruff>=0.5",
 ]
 all = [
     "posthog>=3.0.0",