Control theory in the USSR after WW2 achieved serious successes in such fields as optimal control, absolute stability, delay systems, pulse and relay control. Later there was a huge peak of breakthrough research on adaptation, learning and pattern recognition, starting at 1960th. Next approach to control under uncertainty relates to robustness; the results here are also deep and pioneering. The contributions to all these fields were due to Feldbaum, Aizerman, Lerner, Tsypkin, Yakubovich and their coauthors and colleagues. We try to survey the main stages of this fascinating competition.