Coal seams up to 10 m in thickness with high rare earth element (REE) concentrations (300-1000 ppm) were detected in some of the Russian Far East deposits. This paper reports on the REE composition of the coals from a number of deposits. The REE-bearing coals are subdivided into three geochemical types. Studies of REE distributions across the coal seams, examination of gravitation fractions and SEM-EDX studies have revealed that the enriched coals seams contain REE mainly as sorbed forms (by organic matter and clay particles) and fine-grained authigenic minerals. The REE coals formed in: (1) erosion-tectonic depressions with wide-spread weathering crusts in their basins; and (2) volcano-tectonic grabens in which coal accumulation occurred simultaneously with bimodal volcanism. In the former case, REE are thought to originate from the borderland; in the second case, from chambers of subalkaline magma. The REE accumulation in the organic material occurred mostly during the peat stage, due to mineralized REE-bearing water coming to the basins. The high REE contents (up to 1.0% and even more) of the combustion wastes, their low LREE/HREE ratios and the considerable estimated resources -- all place the REE-bearing coals of the Russian Far East among new and very promising mineral resources for Y and heavy lanthanoids as by-products.