This textbook is a course of lectures on general ethnology, read by the author at the Russian Islamic University of the Central Medical University of Russia in 2007-2016 . The course contains knowledge (information) about the general theory of ethnological science, its basic concepts, and also touches on the main problems of studying within this science, including the history of science, the source of ethnological knowledge, the main laws of ethnos development, the classification of ethnic groups, etc. The textbook also contains general information about the ethnic history and ethnogenesis of Russia and certain regions of the world. In this format, the textbook is the 1st part of general ethnological knowledge .. The textbook can be used both in the spiritual system and in the system of general higher education.