On the basis of literature data, and assuming that the Milky Way satisfies the Tully-Fisher relationship, the main photometric and kinematic characteristics of the Galaxy are summarized. It is shown that, based on the aggregate of the large-scale properties, the Milky Way is a normal L* galaxy. The contribution of dark matter within the limits of the optical disk of the Milky Way evidently does not exceed 30%. Five spiral galaxies that are similar to the Milky Way in their characteristics are selected from among relatively nearby objects.