The optical absorption, fluorescence and phosphorescence spectra of the RNA and ribonucleotides are investigated. Positions of the first excited singlet and triplet electronic energy levels of the RNA bases are evaluated. It is shown the energy structure of the RNA is determined mainly by the individual properties of the ribonucleotides pi-electron systems. Comparing the phosphorescence spectra of the DNA, RNA and ribonucleotides two types of triplet excitations traps in the RNA are found: (1) adenosine groups and (2) the centers of unknown nature that manifest structureless long-wave phosphorescence and are not the same as for the DNA.