The Main Platform for Legal Psychologists: Leading Experts of the Country Opened the Anniversary Kochenov Readings at MSUPE
On November 12, the anniversary X All-Russian Conference on Legal Psychology with international participation, "Psychology and Law in Modern Russia" (Kochenov Readings - 2026), began its work at Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, with the support of the V.P. Serbsky National Medical Research Center for Psychiatry and Narcology.
Over the course of three days, leading scientists and practitioners from various regions of Russia and abroad will discuss current challenges in the field—from criminal and penitentiary psychology to the protection of childhood in the digital space.
In 2026, the conference is being held in a hybrid format: the majority of events are taking place in person, while a portion of the sections and round tables are held online.
Larisa Falkovskaya, Director of the Department of State Policy in the Sphere of Children's Rights Protection, emphasized in her address to the conference participants:
"It is particularly important that in the conference program, alongside traditional areas (legal, criminal, forensic, and penitentiary psychology), a significant place is given to the legal psychology of children and adolescents, as well as the theoretical and applied aspects of mental disorders in the context of legal psychology.
The psychological support of minors participating in legal proceedings, the prevention of offenses, and the protection of children's rights require deep scientific knowledge and a high level of professionalism from specialists. The results of your research and practical developments make a substantial contribution to improving the child protection system".
According to Arkady Margolis, Rector of MSUPE, the "Kochenov Readings" conference traditionally serves as an assembly point for the professional community, and in the year of MSUPE's 30th anniversary, it takes on a special resonance:
"We are not only discussing current scientific and practical tasks but also comprehending the continuity of scientific schools, educational traditions, and professional approaches that have been formed within the walls of the university and in cooperation with our partners.
MSUPE's contribution to the development of legal psychology over these years cannot be overstated. The university has become one of the key platforms where the Russian school of legal psychology was formed: scientific directions related to forensic psychological expertise, the psychology of criminal behavior, the legal psychology of childhood, penitentiary psychology, and the restorative approach were established here. Several generations of specialists have grown on the basis of the university, who today work in the education system, law enforcement agencies, forensic institutions, guardianship authorities, and crime prevention bodies. MSUPE consistently develops interagency and interdisciplinary interaction - with the V.P. Serbsky National Medical Research Center for Psychiatry and Narcology, the University of the Prosecutor's Office of the Russian Federation, the Investigative Committee of Russia, the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia, and other partners - and it is precisely this integration of science, practice, and personnel training that largely determines the face of modern legal psychology in Russia.
The anniversary conference is a good occasion not only to sum up the results but also to outline new directions for movement".
The program of the anniversary "Kochenov Readings" reflects the breadth of research and applied issues in modern legal psychology. The focus is on the psychology of criminal behavior, mental disorders in legally significant situations, the legal psychology of childhood in digital and offline environments, the prevention of social risks, penitentiary psychology, psychological support for law enforcement activities, the restorative approach and mediation practices, and specialist training.
Important areas of the conference's work include the evidence-based evaluation of the effectiveness of preventive, correctional, and rehabilitation practices, technologies, and programs, the development of restorative pedagogy, the use of digital tools, as well as the interaction between researchers and practitioners.
The international teleconference will expand the opportunities for sharing experiences with foreign colleagues and discussing current problems and prospects for joint work. Within the framework of the International Teleconference "Psychology and Law: Country-Specific Contexts of Applied Scientific Research and Socially Significant Practices," representatives from Argentina, Bolivia, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Mongolia, and other countries will deliver presentations. Guests from Belarus and Kyrgyzstan will attend other sections.
For the first time, the "Legal Psychology Living Room" will be held—a space for informal conversation about science, the profession, and life within it, where behind scientific ideas and achievements, the people, their professional destinies, quests, and personal stories are revealed. The guests of the living room will be F.S. Safuanov, M.G. Debolsky, and E.G. Dozortseva. These meetings are intended to preserve the living history of science, make the personal experience of its representatives a part of the common professional heritage, and pass this experience on to new generations of researchers and practitioners.
The name "Kochenov Readings" is associated with Mikhail Mikhailovich Kochenov (1935–1999), whose research made a significant contribution to the development of domestic forensic psychological expertise and legal psychology.