Here we use the term "Activity Theory" to denote this trend, to fit the content of the concept established in the international literature.

Theoretical foundations of the Activity Theory

Russian AT is often supposed to be confined to a set of methods for the analysis of interaction of an individual with his environment. But it is a theoretical and methodological approach, rooted in the history of psychology and well-developed at the level of philosophical methodology (Mironenko, 2008, 2013).

One of the key figures of Russian AT, Sergey L. Rubinstein wrote:

At the heart of every significant philosophical conception, as the origin of its creation, there can be found some basic tendency, some integrative moment of truth, some basic motive and interest of thought" (Rubinstein, 1997, p. 138).

The lack of understanding of this creative motive leads to misinterpretation and misunderstanding. So, what was this motive for the creation of Russian AT? To answer this question, first of all, let's consider the situation in which the Russian AT was created, because it is there that this "basic motive and interest of thought" comes from.

Russian AT was born in 1920-s in post-revolutionary Russia, where a great experiment, aimed to test Marxist theory in practice, was carried out. At that time Russia saw a wonderful splash of creative activity in culture and science. It was the time of Blok, Kandinsky Malevich, Mayakovsky Meyerhold, etc. The rise of psychology was caused by a huge demand of practical work and the need for a new scientific methodology based on Marxism. Many scientists such as Bekhterev, Vygotsky and Luria sincerely believed that Russia was standing at the edge of social and cultural rebirth, and tried to take an active part in the creating of a new life. Great expectations of the Soviet government were laid on psychological practice. Two great unrealizable tasks were put forward, both concerning ideology as well as economical life of the country: to increase labor productivity[14] and to bring up a new human type – the one of proletarian culture. The Soviet government gave an unprecedented support to the development of psychology in Russia. In 1918 (just after the devastating First World War, after the period of Civil war which followed the October revolution 1917) Bekhterev addressed the government asking for organization of the Institute for Research on the Brain and Mental Activity (Институт по изучению мозга и психической деятельности) on the basis of St. Petersburg Psychoneurological Research Institute. Soon the Institute was opened, equipped with the best possible apparatus in Europe, and its director until his death was Vladimir Bekhterev)[15]. At the beginning of 1920-s one by one psychological departments and laboratories were being opened throughout the country. In 1921 Soviet government issued a special regulation to support the laboratory headed by LP. Pavlov. Applied psychology (pedology and psychotechnics) was rapidly developing. (Basov, 1928; Blonsky 1934; Kornilov, 1924; Lazursky 1918; Vygotsky, 1931; etc.)