The article provides a comparative historical analysis of the development of phonetics and phonology in Russia, in the West (in European countries and partly on the American continent) and in the East. The features of the evolution of views on teaching phonetics and phonology in domestic and foreign science are investigated. Changes in theoretical concepts and linguistic-methodological traditions can be traced from the end of the XIX to the beginning of the XXI century. Such a historical comparative review helps to identify the speci cs of the Russian phonological school, its place among other schools and suggest prospects for further development of this area of science.