Braking apparatus for braking the rotating part of a hoisting machine, said braking apparatus comprising one or more brakes (3, 4), which contain in all: - at least one movable brake shoe (5, 6) - spring elements (7, 8) for activating the brake by moving the brake shoe (5, 6) forwards - at least two electromagnets (9, 10), which, when magnetized by a magnetizing current, apply a force of attraction to bodies conducting magnetic flux which electromagnets are fitted to release the brake (3, 4) by pulling the aforesaid at least one brake shoe (5, 6) backwards by resisting the aforesaid spring elements (7, 8); and which brake (3, 4) is fitted to be activated by reducing the magnetizing current of the electromagnet (9, 10); and which braking apparatus comprises a power supply circuit for the electromagnets, which contains controllable power supply interrupting devices (12, 13, 14, 15); the electromagnets (9, 10) being connected to the said power supply circuit in such a way that the supply of magnetizing current to each electromagnet can be interrupted by means of at least two different interrupting devices (12, 13, 14, 15); which braking apparatus comprises a brake control unit, which contains at least two control elements (17, 18), a first one of said control elements being arranged to control a first interrupting device, which can be used to interrupt the supply of magnetizing current to a first electromagnet, while a second one of said control elements is arranged to control a second interrupting device, which can be used to interrupt the supply of magnetizing current to a second electromagnet, characterized in - that the first interrupting device is arranged to interrupt the magnetizing current to the first electromagnet but not to the second electromagnet, - that the second interrupting device is arranged to interrupt the magnetizing current to the second electromagnet but not to the first electromagnet, - that the power supply circuit comprises a third controllable power supply interrupting device, which is fitted to interrupt the supply of magnetizing current to the first electromagnet but not to the second electromagnet; - that the second one of the control elements is arranged to control the said third power supply interrupting device, - that the power supply circuit comprises a fourth controllable power supply interrupting device, which is fitted to interrupt the supply of magnetizing current to the second electromagnet but not to the first electromagnet; and - that the first one of the control elements is arranged to control the said fourth power supply interrupting device. - at least one movable brake shoe (5, 6) - spring elements (7, 8) for activating the brake by moving the brake shoe (5, 6) forwards - at least two electromagnets (9, 10), which, when magnetized by a magnetizing current, apply a force of attraction to bodies conducting magnetic flux - that the first interrupting device is arranged to interrupt the magnetizing current to the first electromagnet but not to the second electromagnet, - that the second interrupting device is arranged to interrupt the magnetizing current to the second electromagnet but not to the first electromagnet, - that the power supply circuit comprises a third controllable power supply interrupting device, which is fitted to interrupt the supply of magnetizing current to the first electromagnet but not to the second electromagnet; - that the second one of the control elements is arranged to control the said third power supply interrupting device, - that the power supply circuit comprises a fourth controllable power supply interrupting device, which is fitted to interrupt the supply of magnetizing current to the second electromagnet but not to the first electromagnet; and - that the first one of the control elements is arranged to control the said fourth power supply interrupting device.