The formation of the image of Siberia in the process of its colonization

In the study the formation of Siberian identity as the settlement, set by colonization and developed during the imperial period is analyzed. Coloni-zation was connected with the formation of special ideas of the remote re-gions of Russia, including Siberia. Besides "symbolical" development of Si-beria by means of establishment of imperial control, there was its mental accession as which bases the confessionality and the naming of the territory acted. The author draws the conclusion that in ordinary consciousness natu-ral, spontaneous designing of the images of Siberia which had both positive and negative connotations was carried out. As the remote territory, Siberia was represented by certain qualitative essence changing the people moving here. The emphasis of different images of Siberia depended on qualitative characteristics of Russian immigrants, on the speed and success of overcom-ing of world outlook, emotional and psychological, situational barriers by them. Important parameters of designing of the image of Siberia were geo-graphical remoteness of the region, its specific climatic conditions, distanc-ing Siberians from other communities, first of all from residents of the Euro-pean Russia. The ideas of social constructivism as the images of the territory presented in consciousness, its population are the result of the directed social and cultural processing act as the methodological basis of research in the study (are actively designed) and have dynamic nature. Based on historical, ethnographic, culturology sources, the history of the formation of the image of Siberia is considered in the context of mental development of the territory by immigrants in the XIX century.