Zhilina, Orel Region, Orel Province, 302530 Russia, e-mail info@vniispk.ru Acknowledgements: Supported in part by Russian Science Foundation, project ¹ 14-16-00127 A b s t r a c t The results of apple breeding at the All Russian Research Institute of Fruit Crop Breeding (VNIISPK) for 60 years (1953-2013) are given. <...> The basic sections of breeding are shown (the development of scab immune triploid apple varieties with higher contents of nutrient and biologically active substances in fruit). <...> The biochemical characteristics of fruits in 47 apple varieties released from VNIISPK and included into the State Register are given. <...> The development of the varieties with different dates of maturing and length of storage life allows providing the apple calendar of home apple consumption during the whole year round by the way of purposeful selection of varieties. <...> First in Russia and in the world a series of triploid apple varieties have been produced from crossing between plants with different ploidy. <...> These varieties ensure more regular fruiting and high fruit marketability. <...> Keywords: apple, varieties, breeding, scab immunity, dates of fruit maturing, biochemical composition of fruit, triploidy. <...> Apple breeding is focused on the improvement of assortment and producing varieties with high yield, different dates of ripening, and suitable for intensive horticulture. <...> Apple varieties immune or high tolerant to scab are required, in fact, in all Russia regions. <...> In the view to this, genetic and immunological research of plant tolerance to scab have been conducted in All-Russian Research Institute of Breeding Fruit Crops (VNIISPK). <...> Based on knowledge about the formation of male and female gametes one can plan crossings required to obtain enough hybrids for further selection. <...> These varieties are generally characterized by more regular yielding year after year, the high fruit marketability, an increased self-fertility, thus being quite promising in practical use. <...> For the polyploidy-based breeding program, the cytoembryological study is essential allowing us to control the peculiarities of generative system in the parent plants, and estimate ploidy in the hybrids when the parent forms with different ploidy were crossed. <...> For 60 year period (1953-2013) a total of 4.8 million flowers have been pollinated with 853 thousand seedlings grown and 187 thousand ones replanted <...>