A facile and efficient methodology of the synthesis of 6-(hydroxymethyl)purine derivatives (bases and nucleosides) was developed based on Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions of 6-halopurines or N-protected 2-amino-6-halopurines with (benzoyloxymethyl)zinc iodide followed by deprotection. Regioselective hydroxymethylations of 2,6-dihalopurines were also studied and used for the synthesis of 2-chloro-6-(hydroxymethyl)- or 2,6-bis(hydroxymethyl)purines. The 6-(hydroxymethyl)purine ribonucleoside 5f exerted high cytostatic effect and moderate inhibition of adenosine deaminase, while all the other derivatives were much less effective or entirely inactive.