At the present stage of science development, breeding of new varieties of plants using modern, including molecular methods, is one of the main links in the intensification of the agricultural industry. Rye is no exception in this respect. This is a traditional strategic crop for Belarus, that largely determines the country’s food security. In the paper, in a historical context, the main achievements in breeding of rye varieties for different uses are outlined. The main approaches are described, including: screening of the world diversity of winter rye in the conditions of Belarus; use of methods of experimental polyploidy, hybridization, stabilizing selection, molecular-genetic methods and techniques. Development and application of modern methods have allowed a number of genetic mechanisms and regularities to be discovered, which, in turn, has significantly increased the efficiency of rye breeding in different directions (population and heterosis). At present, RUE “Scientific and Practical Center of the NAS of Belarus for Arable Farming”, State Scientific Institution “Institute of Genetics and Cytology of the NAS of Belarus”, as well as jointly with other institutions have developed new breeding methods, including molecular-genetic ones, which is especially important for increasing the efficiency of obtaining competitive varieties. Significant results have been achieved on the use of the effect of heterosis based on cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS). To date, a system of highly productive competitive rye varieties has been created for soils of different levels of fertility: population tetraploid and diploid, as well as F1 hybrids – LoBel-103, Galinka, Plisa, and Belgi.