Psychologist Day in Russia Date in the current year: November 22, 2024

The term “psychology” was coined in the 16th century and came into popular usage about two centuries later, but it was only in the late 19th century that psychology began to develop as an independent discipline separate from philosophy. Its development at the time was closely linked to psychiatry and physiology.

In Russia, it was medical schools that first introduced courses on experimental psychology. In 1885, Russian philosopher and psychologist Matvey Troitsky created the Moscow Psychological Society at the Imperial Moscow University (now the Moscow State University), and in 1912, Georgy Chelpanov founded the Psychological Institute at the same university.

During the Soviet era, the development of psychology in Russia was heavily affected by the Marxist—Leninist ideology. The Moscow Psychological Society was closed in 1922, but many of its members continued to work at the Psychological Institute. For the next thirty years, the Soviet Government actively fought “Western influences” on Russian psychological science, hindering its development.

The situation began to change in the 1950s thanks to Anatoly Smirnov, whose campaigning resulted in the restoration of the Moscow Psychological Society (as the Society of Psychologists of the USSR) and the launch of Russia’s first psychological academic journal titled Voprosy Psikhologii (Issues Relevant to Psychology). Although ideology still played an important role in the development of psychology in Russia, it was a huge step forward.

Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Society of Psychologists of the USSR was reorganized into the Russian Psychological Society. Its main goals are to promote, protect and advance psychological science in Russia, to provide Russian psychologists with support and better career opportunities, and to ensure high standards of education, training and practice. Today, the Society has over 5,000 members at 62 regional branches; it is a member of European Federation of Psychologists’ Associations and the International Union of Psychological Science.

Russian Psychologist Day was first celebrated at the Moscow State University on November 22, 2000. Its date was chosen to commemorate the inaugural congress of the Russian Psychological Society that took place on November 22, 1994. Since then, it has been adopted by other Russian universities that have psychology departments. Psychology Day is marked with seminars, conferences, workshops, open lectures, and other professional events that aim to highlight the importance of the profession.

In addition, to Psychologist Day, Russian psychologists, psychotherapists and psychiatrists celebrate World Mental Health Day that falls on October 10. Inaugurated in 1992 by the World Federation of Mental Health, it is one of United Nations international observances.