The book tells about the development of physical ideas that led to the discovery of the phenomenon of Raman scattering of light, modern methods for obtaining and studying Raman spectra. The main questions of the theory of molecular oscillations, closely related to the analysis of Raman and infrared absorption spectra, are summarized. Numerous examples are given of the application of these spectra to a variety of problems in analytical and structural chemistry, solid state physics, biochemistry and biology. Written popularly and captivatingly, the book is aimed at a wide range of readers interested in the achievements of modern physics and chemistry.