The review concerns the fundamentals of spintronics (spin transport electronics). The material covers spin spin interactions and spin relaxation in semiconductors as well as spin and spin injection related effects in the condensed matter. Examples of promising spintronic de vices are given, requirements for spintronic materials are formulated, methods of synthesis of spintronic materials are described, and the physicochemical properties of some materials are characterized. Organic spintronic materials are briefly outlined and the state of the art in the field of research on inhomogeneous magnetic semiconducting materials possessing high tem perature ferromagnetism is described. The emphasis is placed on the chemical bonding and electronic structure of magnetic impurities in semiconductors, consideration of the nature of ferromagnetism, and on the character of exchange interactions between localized spins in novel spintronic materials.