A rotary compressor comprising: a hermetic container having an oil reservoir; a cylinder placed in the hermetic container; a piston placed in the cylinder; an end plate member mounted on the cylinder to form a cylinder chamber between the cylinder and the piston; a vane which partitions the cylinder chamber into a suction chamber and a discharge chamber; a suction port for supplying refrigerant to be compressed into the suction chamber; a discharge port which is formed in the end plate member and which discharges the compressed refrigerant from the discharge chamber; a valve provided in the discharge port for adjusting a discharge amount of the refrigerant; a valve stop for restricting motion of the valve; a refrigerant discharge space which is provided in the end plate member that closes the cylinder and in which the refrigerant discharged from the discharge chamber through the discharge port can stay; and one or more penetrating flow paths for discharging the refrigerant from the refrigerant discharge space into the hermetic container, wherein the refrigerant discharge space is a space formed by substantially a minimum projection surface of the valve stop, the penetrating flow path and a passage which brings the discharge port and the penetrating flow path into communication with each other, wherein a plane which includes a center of the second suction port and a center axis (O 1) is defined as a third reference plane, the refrigerant discharge space is formed in the end plate member on the side of the third reference plane on which the vane is disposed, and an interior angle formed by a first phantom line connected with an end of the refrigerant discharge space and the center axis (O 1) of the cylinder, and a second phantom line connected with another end of the refrigerant discharge space and the center axis (O 1) of the cylinder is within the range of 180° relative to the center axis (O 1) of the cylinder, characterised in that a closing member is mounted on the end plate member, and in that a first recess which functions as the oil retaining section and a second recess which functions as the refrigerant discharge space are formed in the end plate member, and in that the first recess and the second recess are closed by the closing member, and in that communication passages are provided to bring the oil reservoir and the oil retaining section into communication with each other, and in that a portion of oil stored in the oil reservoir is taken into the oil retaining section from the communication passages. a hermetic container having an oil reservoir; a cylinder placed in the hermetic container; a piston placed in the cylinder; an end plate member mounted on the cylinder to form a cylinder chamber between the cylinder and the piston; a vane which partitions the cylinder chamber into a suction chamber and a discharge chamber; a suction port for supplying refrigerant to be compressed into the suction chamber; a discharge port which is formed in the end plate member and which discharges the compressed refrigerant from the discharge chamber; a valve provided in the discharge port for adjusting a discharge amount of the refrigerant; a valve stop for restricting motion of the valve; a refrigerant discharge space which is provided in the end plate member that closes the cylinder and in which the refrigerant discharged from the discharge chamber through the discharge port can stay; and one or more penetrating flow paths for discharging the refrigerant from the refrigerant discharge space into the hermetic container, wherein the refrigerant discharge space is a space formed by substantially a minimum projection surface of the valve stop, the penetrating flow path and a passage which brings the discharge port and the penetrating flow path into communication with each other, wherein a plane which includes a center of the second suction port and a center axis (O 1) is defined as a third reference plane, the refrigerant discharge space is formed in the end plate member on the side of the third reference plane on which the vane is disposed, and an interior angle formed by a first phantom line connected with an end of the refrigerant discharge space and the center axis (O 1) of the cylinder, and a second phantom line connected with another end of the refrigerant discharge space and the center axis (O 1) of the cylinder is within the range of 180° relative to the center axis (O 1) of the cylinder, characterised in that a closing member is mounted on the end plate member, and in that a first recess which functions as the oil retaining section and a second recess which functions as the refrigerant discharge space are formed in the end plate member, and in that the first recess and the second recess are closed by the closing member, and in that communication passages are provided to bring the oil reservoir and the oil retaining section into communication with each other, and in that a portion of oil stored in the oil reservoir is taken into the oil retaining section from the communication passages.