The article reviews and analyses a number of papers on physical-chemical properties of nickel hydroxide. Attention has been paid to the modifications of nickel hydroxide crystal structure and the existing ways of its synthesis. The main steps of building a physically-based model of proton mass transport in nickel-oxide electrodes are presented and the most effective methods of nickel hydroxide activation are defined. The results of investigations carried out by many different researchers have been summarised in order to be able to use it later for the stabilisation of high electrochemical activity of oxide-nickel electrodes in the serial production of alkaline storage batteries.