Ribosomal proteins (rps) are constituents of ribosomal subunits together with the rRNAs, and the work of the ribosomes is based on highly cooperative interactions involving these biopolymers. Eukaryotic ribosomal subunits contain proteins that have bacterial counterparts as well as proteins specific only to eukaryotes and archaea and proteins unique to eukaryotes. Roles of eukaryotic rps in functioning of the translation machinery are studied in less detail than those of bacterial ones. However, application of various structural, biochemical and genetic approaches made it possible to obtain data suggesting implication of many particular eukaryotic rps in binding of participants of translation process (ribosomal ligands). Here we present a review on these data as well as their analysis aimed to reveal conserved and eukaryote-specific functions of eukaryotic rps in the work of translational machinery.