The paper presents review of techniques and results of experimental studies of structural transitions in solids under shock-wave loading. The developed explosion-proof containers allow to save studied samples after explosive loading up to pressures exceeding 100 GPa. The authors present results obtained by studies of solid structures of various types (metals, chemical compounds, etc.) after compression of them by shock waves. The studies were carried out with use of the methods for metallographic, X-ray structural, and electron-microscopic analyses. It is shown that in majority of the considered cases the phase transitions of solids in shock waves occur in accordance with the martensite type. For determination of the fact of melting at shock-wave compression, the method for loading of composite sample is suggested. The composite sample consists of studied sample and more fusible one that is a melting indicator capable to form solid solutions or intermetallic compounds with material under study. Results of study of Bi, Sn, Pb, Cd, Zn with the help of this method are presented. ©2000 American Institute of Physics.