Images of Power in the Mirror of the Municipal Press

Political culture is based on traditions, values, political system and historical context. The image of political power is an element of political culture, which institutionalizes communication between power and society. This research studies attitudes, orientations, expectations of Russian citizens toward political power and what factors influence their formation. In the context of the semiotic approach and content analysis, we conduct a study of municipal newspapers: Chernushinsky district – "Mayak Priural'ya" and Krasnokamsky district – "Vecherniy Krasnokamsk", and reveal the frequency of coverage of the federal, regional and municipal power. In addition, citizens' expectations for power and understanding of its functions are reflected in journalistic articles, which indicates the formed political image of power in this social space. The findings of the research illustrate how Russian society perceives power, preserving old values, where paternalism and power-centeredness are inherent in citizens. The concentration of power in one place or person and the expectation of caring for people have remained since the time of the Soviet Union. We conclude that these results reflect the political culture of Russia, the values of which are still heavily influenced by the historical past.