The complex of experimental installations for studying of laser radiation interaction with surface of metal and dielectrics is established at High Current Electronics Institute (HCEI, Tomsk, Russia). The complex consist of laser systems ( lambda-from IR to UV region, pulse duration from ns to ms, energy up to 2 kJ, average power up to 1 kW), experimental cell for disposition of samples (gas pressure from 10(-5) Torr to 10 atm) and also spectroscopic and measurement equipment. A number of experimental results on the study of laser plasma formation and expansion in vacuum and dense gas, laser breakdown in high pressure SF6, UV lasers irradiation of diamond and IR and UV lasers interaction with steel surface are presented. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.