Chalcogenide glasses of the As-S-Bi-Br system are synthesized, certain physicochemical prop erties (density, microhardness, glass transition temperature, and transparency range) of these glasses are determined, and the refraction index is calculated based on the principle of additivity of covalent refractions. The thermally activated mobility of bismuth cations in the glass lattice and the partial transition of bismuth into a subvalent state are revealed by X ray photoelectron spectroscopy.