The author's definition of a «success situation» is given as an opportunity to achieve an educational result, to evaluate and to experience it as successful. A comparative analysis of the theoretical approaches and concepts of A. S. Makarenko, V. A. Sukhomlinsky, A. S. Belkin, S. A. Amonashvilli and others, as well as their concepts of «tomorrow's joy», «joy of knowledge», «joy of cooperation», respectively, is carried out. As a result of the research, it is found out that their ideas are still applicable nowadays with elements of some innovation and modernization. The novelty of the study is that the situation of success is viewed from the perspective ofjoy. At the same time, joy is presented as a pedagogical rather than psychological category, since the emphasis is not on the experience, but on its educative functions: improving academic performance and educational motivation, developing independence in achieving success and in overcoming difficulties on the way to it. The situation of success is considered as a way and option of modernization of the educational process, and as an opportunity of developing the joy of knowledge and the joy of educational and pedagogical cooperation. Keywords: joy of learning; situations of success by types of joy.