The method of timber drying including the blowing of timber with heating medium operation at atmospheric pressure and heating the timber to average volume temperature 80-100° C., impulsive (quick) vacuum treatment operation at pressure not more than 50 mm Hg during time not more than 10 s with pressing-out of free moisture from timber without water to vapour transition to reach stable constant value of limber temperature, vacuum relief to atmospheric pressure using heat recuperating air with temperature 150-300° C., and at manometer pressure not more than 0.07 MPa.The apparatus for timber drying comprises two drying chambers connected through pipelines with quick-response valves to cooled receiver, which is placed in series to the second one and connected to vacuum pump through pipeline with vacuum lock. The first receiver is equipped with spiral-shaped guide devices for vapour-and-drop flow direction, which are installed at a tangent to inner diameter of receiver body. The drying chambers are connected to the system for preparation of hot heating medium supply.