The article presents a number of propositions and hypotheses of V. P. Zinchenko concerning development in ontogenesis. His commitment to L. S. Vygotsky’s cultural and historical concept and the changes and additions he makes to it are shown. His views on the child’s mastery of the word and the development of actions and images interrelated with it are given. The ideas about the self-development of personality in culture and the danger of rigid purposeful personality formation are reflected. The general scheme of the genome of cultural and historical personality development is described.