A brief critical analysis of the general theory of relativity shows that its adoption leads to the abandonment of a number of fundamental principles underlying physics. A relativistic theory of gravitation is constructed. In it the gravitational field possesses all the attributes of physical fields, and the theory agrees completely with the fundamental physical principles and also the available experimental and observational facts. The consequences of the relativistic theory of gravitation, including, in particular, the development of collapse and the evolution of the universe, are considered.