Using photoinduced light scattering, conoscopy, and Raman spectroscopy methods, we have studied stoichiometric lithium niobate crystals and congruent crystals that were doped with Mg(0.078, 0.89 mas %), Zn(0.03, 0.52, 0.62), Cu(0.015), B(0.12), Gd(0.51), Y(0.46), Gd(0.23):Mg(0.75), Mg(0.86):Fe(0.0036), Ta(1.13):Mg(0.011), and Y(0.24):Mg(0.63) cations. It has been found that, depending on the kind of the pattern of photoinduced light scattering, investigated specimens can be divided into three groups. We have shown that the asymmetry of the indicatrix of photoinduced light scattering of LiNbO3 crystals is caused by birefringence of exciting laser radiation as it propagates perpendicularly to the polar axis of the crystal, whereas the asymmetry of the Raman spectrum arises due to the occurrence of spontaneous polarization, the vector of which is directed along the polar axis, and by birefringence. The pattern of the photoinduced light scattering depends on the difference of the refractive indices Δn = no − ne of the ordinary (no) and extraordinary (ne) rays and their energies E. If Eno {ie259-1} Ene, the proportion of the photoinduced light scattering has the shape of a three-layer round spot. For equal energies, the pattern has the shape of a symmetric figure-eight. At Eno < Ene, the figure-eight is asymmetric. In this case, its large “lobe” is directed in the positive direction of the polar axis of the crystal.