The book describes the basic elements of the theory of gravitational (and formally coincides with it electrostatic) potential and studies the simplest cases of its explicit expression through elementary functions and elliptic integrals. The most important properties of the gravitational potential and its gradient for compact bodies in three-dimensional space are described; one-dimensional, two-dimensional and three-dimensional bodies are considered. A separate chapter is devoted to the potential of unlimited bodies. Numerous examples illustrate the general theory. In the problems, it is proposed to calculate the potential of bodies not considered in the main text or to make sure that the general properties are fair on the examples considered. As a method of calculating the gravitational potential, only direct integration is used, available to a student of the third year of technical universities or natural faculties of universities. Refined workarounds requiring more thorough mathematical training do not apply. The book can be used as a teaching aid by students and graduate students in the study of the theory of gravitation, gravimetry, geodesy, celestial mechanics and stellar dynamics, electrostatics, and can also be useful and serve as a reference for specialists of the relevant profile. The electronic version of the publication is posted on the website "Astronomy at St. Petersburg University" (http://www.) astro. spbu. ru)