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The assessment of the livestock according to the exterior and constitution in combination with the performance characteristics describes their breeding and performance traits. The aim of the investigations was to ascertain the peculiarities of the exterior of the cows of the Schwarzbunt and Cholmogorskaja breeds and to determine the phenotypic relationships between the exterior characteristics and the milk yield. In addition, estimates were made of exogenous influences on the exterior and performance characteristics in the animals. Features such as height (2.50-3.22%) and half circumference of the hip area (2.70-3.18%) vary the least. The greatest variability was found in the body length (3.30-4.60%) and the chest circumference (3.63-4.38%). In terms of performance characteristics, the 305-day milk yield (15.83-17.78%) and the production index (15.72-17.74%) were characterized by high variability. The milk yield of the Cholmogorskaja breed was 593.97 kg (8.6%), significantly (P < 0.05) higher than that of the Black-White breed. They were inferior in milk fat content by 0.48% (P < 0.001) and also slightly inferior in milk protein content by 0.02%. The correlations between milk yield, milk quality indicators and conformation traits were weak or there were no relationships (-0.21 < r < +0.24). There was also a weakly positive correlation (r = +0.16) between the exterior index and the performance index. In the Cholmogorskaja breed, the correlations between the milk performance characteristics (305-day milk production, milk fat content, milk protein content) and all exterior characteristics were weak and mostly negative. In some cases there was no correlation. Between milk yield and exterior index a correlation of r = +0.09 was found. In the cows of the Black and White Breed, weak correlations between the milk yield and the external characteristics (height at the withers -0.22; half-chest circumference -0.15; half-leg circumference +0.12; half-circumference hip -0.13) were found. The correlations between the milk yield per lactation and the milk protein or milk fat content were r = +0.16 and r = -0.41. Furthermore, the relationships between the exterior index and the milk yield per lactation (r = +0.25) and the production index (r = +0.23) were calculated. The environment influenced milk production and the production index by 28.6% and 26.3%, respectively. Only 4.1% and 5.8% of the fat and protein content were influenced by the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]