Investigating the possibility of a straightforward formation of tetrazoline and/or tetrazolidine structures, the reactivity of a tetrazole derivative towards reducing conditions has been studied. The catalytic hydrogenation of 1,1'-dimethylbistetrazole (DMBT) was carried out using various catalysts (Pd/C, Pt/C, Rh/C, Pd/Pt/C, Lindlar, PtO 2 and Raney Ni) over a wide range of hydrogen pressure (35 to 150 bars) and a temperature range from 20 to 60°C. This exhaustive study enabled to find the optimal conditions for DMBT hydrogenation and to suggest a plausible reaction mechanism. The chemical reduction of DMBT was conducted using several hydrides (BH 3 , NaBH 4 , DIBAL and LiAlH 4 ). The reduction products were identified subsequently to conditions optimizing. The suggested reaction mechanism, featuring a retro-[3+2]-cycloaddition, was validated by both experimental and theoretical approaches.