The Moscow faculty was definitely the main one, the largest, receiving maximum governmental support, and Yaroslavl faculty was very closely connected with it. From 1951 to 1979 A. N. Leontiev was head of the department and then of the faculty of Psychology of Moscow State University. He greatly promoted scientific life of the faculty and also the development of Psychology in Russia, and his theoretical approach is definitely a brilliant one – but the fact is that under his leadership no other approach was welcomed, so that for more than 30 years the whole team of the main psychological faculty in Russia was developing Leontiev's theoretical approach, with more or less sincere faith and inspiration.

Leontiev's theory was much discussed after his death and is still discussed, and the discussions reflect many personal attitudes (Leontiev et al., 2005; Zinchenko, 2003; Galperin, 1983; Materials of MSU, 2012).

Leontiev's theory was also the only one that had a good chance to be known outside Russia after the World War II. In 1954, when Stalin died, new possibilities for contacts with foreign colleagues opened. In 1954 a Soviet delegation was sent to the XIV International Psychological Congress which was held in Canada (Montreal). The delegation was headed by A. N. Leontiev. It was the first – after almost a thirty-year break – visit of the Soviet scientists to an international congress. After that Leontiev headed Soviet delegations to the XV, XVI, XVII international congresses on psychology. He was the authorized leader of Soviet psychology. Works of Leontiev were repeatedly republished in translations into English, Armenian, Bulgarian, Hungarian, Vietnamese, Danish, Spanish (Argentina, Spain, Cuba), Italian, Chinese, German (GDR and Germany), Polish, Romanian, Slovak, Finnish, French, Czech, and Japanese.

Unfortunately few of the works of other theorists had their chance to become known outside Russia. That is the case with the brilliant theory of B. G Ananiev.

"The Leningrad school of Psychology". B. G. Ananiev: the Impact of Individual Activity on Psycho-Physiological Functions

The ideas of Rubinstein and Vygotsky on the self-determination of human development and on the impact of higher mental processes on psycho-physiological functions, neglected by Leontiev, found their full realization and were creatively advanced by Boris G. Ananiev who founded the Faculty of Psychology of Leningrad State University which was opened in 1966, same year as the MStU faculty.