This article reveals the influence of Russian culture on the formation and perception of the images of political leaders. Culture is viewed from the perspective of its main functions in society. The cultural component is one of the defining aspects of political leadership, which is a derivative of political and social systems and their values, based on them, and is expressed in relationships with the expectations of social groups, interaction with the state and other institutions of power. Studying the cultural values of the target audience allows one to understand a system of value orientations in society, on the basis of which the image of a leader will be built. The image of a leader in Russia as a bearer and product of culture is formed and perceived under the influence of characteristic national and cultural features. The image of a leader, formed under the influence of Russian culture, transmits traditionally Russian values both to the domestic political and international arena, and can be perceived ambiguously depending on the cultural values of the perceiving society. Hofstede's theory of cultural dimensions is used as a theoretical basis for the study, which enabling one to trace various options for creating the image of a political leader.
image; leader; political leadership; Russia; culture; G. Hofstede; cultural dimensions.