This article is devoted to the study of the image of Executive authorities in modern Russia. The relevance of the chosen topic of the scientific article is emphasized for the present time, when society and the state are developing methods of countering the coronavirus pandemic – not only in the medical, but, no less important, in the socio-psychological aspect. In this perspective, the consolidating potential of a positive image of government bodies and civil servants is noted. Attention is focused on the terminological apparatus of the problem. Based on the analysis of relevant scientific works, the article provides the author's definition of the image of public authorities. The author notes the peculiarity of the image of Executive authorities, which consists in the presence of two inextricably linked equivalent components – the image of the authority and the image of a civil servant. Image formation of government bodies is considered as a multi-factor interaction of three main subjects: government bodies, the population, and the mass media. The main method of implementation is still the mass communication media, which provide a permanent presence of Executive authorities in the information and communication space. It is noted that the basis for the formation of a positive image of the Executive authority and bureaucracy is their effective functioning. At the same time, the perception of citizens, their attitude to the activities of Executive authorities, the level of trust in them is considered as the main indicator of the modality of the image. Based on the analysis of data from sociological studies, the conclusion about a positive trend in the perception of public authorities and officials by Russians is substantiated. However, there is a negative impact on their image of the lack of these changes and, in General, a low level of openness of public authorities.
