The first volume of the thematic issue of the journal “Cultural-Historical Psychology” – “Cultural-Historical Theory and Activity Approach: Social and Educational Practices” (no. 2-2021) has been published. The second volume is planned to be published in no. 3-2021 of the journal. The issues have been prepared by the Moscow State University of Psychology and Pedagogy (MSUPE) in cooperation with the International Society for Cultural-Historical Activity Research (ISCAR). Thematic editors of the issue are Vitaly Rubtsov, Professor, MSUPE President, and Katerina Plakitsi, Professor, ISCAR President.

Commenting on the publication of the journal, Vitaly Rubtsov, in particular, noted that this issue is intended to create more space for the exchange of ideas and reflections and will become a starting point for interdisciplinary dialogue and discussions that will be continued within the framework of the 6th Congress of the International Society for Cultural-Historical Activity Research (ISCAR) 2021.

The section “Discovering Vygotsky: New Pages in Cultural-Historical Psychology” of the first volume of the thematic issue of the journal presents unique findings in the field of Vygotsky studies – archive lecture entries of L.S. Vygotsky on developmental psychology: “Two lines of psychological development” and “Research methods in child psychology“. The entries are published for the first time. In the second volume, two more lectures are being prepared for release. This is the only material in the issue in Russian.

The section “Learning Interaction: Designing a Developing Environment” presents approaches to the application of the cultural-historical theory and activity approach in educational institutions in Russia, Great Britain, Israel, and other countries.

The section of the issue “Innovative practices: training, development, education” is devoted to modern technologies and practices in various fields of psychology and education, including those that arise in the situation of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The thematic issue is dedicated to the memory of Professor Pentti Hakkarainen (1944-2021), an outstanding psychologist in the field of development and education, a specialist in children’s games, and creator of game worlds, who made a significant contribution to the dissemination of cultural-historical theory in the world.

The journal is published shortly before the 6th Congress of the International Society for Cultural-Historical Activity Research, ISCAR, which is to be held in Brazil from July 30th to August 7th, 2021 online.

The content of the thematic issue “Cultural-Historical Psychology” – “Cultural-Historical Theory and Activity Approach: Social and Educational Practices” (№2-2021) is available on the portal PsyJournals.ru.