Authors of review analyze papers published in 1993-2008 on problem of remote ischemic preconditioning of the heart. The main manifestations of preconditioning at a distance are a decrease in infarct size, an improvement of cardiac contractility in reperfusion period, an enhancement of cardiac tolerance to arrhythmogenic impact of ischemia-reperfusion. The published data demonstrate that the humoral factors (endogenous opioids, bradykinin, calcitonin gene-related peptide, endogenous cannabinoids) play the main role in preconditioning at a distance. In the review, it is presented data that protein kinase C, mitochondrial ATP-sensitive K+ -channel, mitochondrial permeability transition pore, NO-synthase, reactive oxygen species are involved in signaling cascade of remote preconditioning.