In this study we aimed to analyse the structure and diversity of overall bacterial community and its resistance determinants from nickel-contaminated soil in Slovakia by both, cultivation-dependent and independent approaches. The phylogeny was reconstructed using partial sequences of 16S rRNA (16S rDNA) and heavy-metal resistance genes from separated isolates and bacterial clones. A total of 518 bacterial sequences obtained from both, isolates and clones, represented 266 species belonging to 8 bacterial phyla: Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Cyanobacteria, Firmicutes, Gemmatimonadetes, Proteobacteria (α-, β- and γ-classes), Verrucomicrobia, and one yet unclassified group. In addition, among isolates and clones, 49 different