Modern Russia political image in public opinion of the UK academic community

Introduction. The article presents the research of public opinion of the UK academic community reflecting the political image of modern Russian Federation. Aims. To define and shape political image of modern Russian Federation in public opinion of the UK academic community, as well as to indicate the main challenges and obstacles in building the political image of the state. Methods. The research is based on sociological and statistical methods and the use of opinion polls, surveys and interviews conducted from June to November 2019. Results. The political image of the modern Russian Federation in public opinion of the UK academic community has been defined. The main challenges and obstacles, advantages and disadvantages of the Russia’s have been identified. Conclusions. According to the UK academic community, the political image of the modern Russian Federation is a configuration of ambivalent and contradictory features. The image of the modern Russian political regime is seen as authoritarian rather than democratic. Russian government and authorities are regarded as competent and qualified; autonomous from the influence of business structures, but corrupted; personified and based on the image of the country’s political leader. In addition, the Russian Federation is perceived as one of the key actors in the modern system of international relations - its geopolitical significance is growing while the attitude and perception of Russia by international community is marked by negative dynamics.