Images of Mongolia in the regional media of the border territories of Russia as a reflection of Mongolia's soft power (a case study of the regional printed media of Irkutsk region and the Republic of Buryatia)

The article discusses approaches to the definition of soft power and the peculiarities of the interpretation of this concept. The main task is the study of the images of Mongolia and the identification of their features, which largely influence the regional media of the border territories of Russia. Based on the content analysis of the printed media of the Irkutsk Region and the Republic of Buryatia, the authors have revealed the most relevant topics in the information agenda of these regions concerning Mongolia and Russian-Mongolian relations. They conclude that in many ways the soft power of a neighboring state is reflected in information publications.