This review analyses the principal approaches to the synthesis of the cinnoline nucleus, used as synthetic precursors of arenediazonium salts, arylhydrazones, and arylhydrazines, and also reductive methods for the synthesis of polycondensed derivatives of cinnoline. The mechanisms of the transformations and the possibilities and limitations of the various methods are discussed. Special attention is paid to methods based on the cyclization of derivatives of arenediazonium salts, which have been developed substantially in recent years.