A study has been made of the reaction of benzaldehyde with the iron compounds in a low degree of oxidation that are formed during the reduction of anhydrous FeCl3 by n-butyl lithium, It has been shown that the composition of the reaction products depends on the Fe/Li molar ratio at the stage of reduction and on the nature of the solvent. A scheme of the reaction is proposed which is based on the primary formation of phenylcarbene as a result of the oxidative addition of benzaldehyde to the reduced iron compound.