The article presents an analysis of the theoretical and methodological foundations of the psychological study of the image of the state: structural and functional components, the main methods and factors of its formation and dynamics, the results of relevant scientific research. The empirical data of a three-stage empirical research are discussed, which indicate changes in some components of the image of Russia among young people over the 2013-2017 period. Six leading factors of assessing the image of Russia were identified: the level of political aggression, foreign policy achievements, the standard of living, economic achievements, political stability, and the level of spiritual culture. The data obtained are interpreted in the context of modern scientific knowledge and promising areas of psychological study of the image of the state. The study contributes to the phenomenology of representing the state’s image in the public mind and the particularities of the state’s modern positioning in the media.