We study the Kondo effect in a quantum dot connected to leads by single-mod
e junctions at almost perfect conductance. Tn this new regime, the Kondo ef
fect develops at a temperature T-K that is sufficiently high for experiment
s. Unlike in the conventional case of small-conductance junctions, G << e(2
)/h, in the new regime the charge discreteness of the dot is completely los
t, while its spin at T greater than or similar to T-K remains quantized at
s = 1/2 (spin-charge separation). We find the temperature and gate-voltage
dependence of the conductance through the dot in the conditions of spin-cha
rge separation.