Electron microscopy was used to identify intermetallic compounds formed in a V95 Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy upon solidification; their composition and morphology were found to depend on the content of added Cr. The effect of the addition on the structural state of the alloy at the low- and high-temperature stages of stepped aging was studied. The relation between the amount of intermetallic compounds and the thermodynamic stability of precipitates formed at the first stage of aging, the character of their distribution, and the relationship between the volume fractions of phases formed at the second stage of aging has been revealed. Structural components responsible for changes in the mechanical properties of the alloy with changing Cr content were determined. Copyright © 2005 by Pleiades Publishing, Inc.