abstract: The object of the study was leached forest-meadow chernozem, polluted by lead and cadmium. The samples were taken from the research field of Lviv State Agrarian University, from the layer of 0-60 cm deep. Heavy metals were applied to top layer of soil as water salt solutions with different doses, namely 0, 32, 160, 320 mg kg-1 for Pb (Pb(CH3COO)2) and 0, 3, 15, 30 mg kg-1 for Cd (CdCl2•2.5 H2O). Basic chemical and physical properties, such as soil reaction, organic carbon content, grain size composition, total surface area, porosity, hydrolytic acidity of the samples were analysed using routine laboratory procedures. The soluble forms of Pb and Cd were also investigated. The soil reaction ranged between 6.8 and 7.5 in 1M KCl and 7.4-8.1 in H2O, whereas the content of organic C ranged between 0.62 and 1.59%. No significant relationship was detected between cadmium and lead amounts and the grain size composition of investigated samples. The pore volume of polluted soils ranged from 370 mm3 g-1to 515 mm3 g-1 and was higher for Cd- polluted than for Pb-polluted soils. The total surface area of the soils varied from 26.83 m2 g-1 to 40.02 m2g-1. Content of available forms of cadmium and lead was the highest in the top layers of soils. Presence of those elements was similar to that in the control sample at the depth of 30 cm only for small initial doses of Cd and Pb. Content of Cd and Pb for the highest doses and at the deepest soil level was higher than for the control sample.