The paper describes the conditions which permitted the Yuzhnoe Design Office to become a leading enterprise in the field of producing launch vehicles and spacecraft. Previously the Yuzhnoe specialized in the development of ICBM complexes. A short list of spacecraft designed by Yuzhnoe is presented as well as a review of space investigation programmes realized in the period from 1962 to 1995 using these spacecraft. Principal characteristics and design features of the spacecraft developed in the Yuzhnoe at different stages of its operation are given. Considerable attention is given to problems of development and improvement of spacecraft support equipment. The paper shows contribution of the Yuzhnoe Design Office to resolving the scientific and technological problems in the development of several spacecraft generations. It reflects also Yuzhnoe's role in the investigations and exploitation of space environment within the "Cosmos" and "Intercosmos" programmes and later within the scope of the state space programme of Ukraine