Objective. To explore the specific features of placental expression of erythropoietin (EPO) in preeclampsia. Subject and methods. The case-control study enrolled 11 pregnant women without clinical and laboratory signs of preeclampsia, 14 pregnant women with moderate preeclampsia, and 14 with severe preeclampsia. The authors analyzed the specific features of the course of pregnancy and labor and conducted histological and immunohistochemical studies of the patients’ placentas (EPO expression and antiapoptotic, proapoptotic, and cell proliferation markers). Results. As preeclampsia develops and progresses, there is higher EPO expression in the syncytiotrophoblast, capillary endothelium, and villous stromal macrophages. The increased EPO expression in the vascular endothelium and chorionic villous stromal macrophages was associated with the activated programs of antiapoptosis and cell proliferation and that in the villous syncytiotrophoblast was related with the activation of cell proliferation processes in the presence of suppressed programs of syncytial cell pro- and antiapoptosis. In severe preeclampsia, there was lower EPO expression in the red blood cells of villous capillaries, which was, as we assume, indicative of the launch of the programs of eryptosis in these cells. Conclusion. The found correlations of placental EPO expression with obstetric complications (chronic placental insufficiency, severe preeclampsia, neonatal hypotrophy and asphyxia) suggest that there are similar mechanisms for the development of these complications.