American Russian studies: formation of scientific stereotypes

The article is devoted to the problem of formation of image of Russia in American Russian studies. The image of Russia has not been considered from the standpoint of forming it on the basis of steady stereotypes of perception. For the first time analyzed the main components of the image of Russia from the point of view of stereotyping. Special attention is paid to the problem of evolution of Russia's image in the U.S., its individual components (stereotyping), and explores their origin. The author appealed to the array of American historical and socio-popular literature - the works of specialists in Russian studies, journalists writing about Russia, literature and art (R. Laker, A. Gallina, A. Rove. S. Fitzpatrick, G. Gambrell, etc.). The author comes to the conclusion that the image of Russia in the United States has both natural (based on national opposition and mentality) origin, and artifi-cial(special emphasis the special features of Russia and Russian national character professional Sovietologists and Russian studies). Currently, a large role is played by stereotypes of "otherness" and "hostility" formed in American Russian studies in the earlier period (1970s. - present 1990s.). With the cooling of relations between Russia and the United States, with the introduction of the sanctions policy, these stereotypes have been revived and are designed to refill the modern image of Russia; formed a new special term - "Putinism", "soft power of Russia", etc. In these conditions, raising the question of the basis of such beliefs, the psychological components of a modern image of Russia is very important.