This article describes the evolution of the image of Prince Dmitry Donskoy in Russian social thinking and historical consciousness between the second half of the 19th and early 20th centuries. The authors single out sources that played an important role in the formation of this image and Dmitry Donskoy's place among the other national leaders as reflected in national memory. The analysis is conducted with reference to the most widespread sources forming the national memory of the past (i.e. educational texts, fiction, periodicals, journalistic texts, films, monuments, Internet resources, and special historical studies). The authors also consider some commemoration practices connected both with Grand Prince Dmitry Donskoy and the main event of his life, the Battle of Kulikovo. The article describes the role of political and social bias in the formation of modern society's perception of the prince and analyses its prospects for further development in mass consciousness. The authors conclude that the way in which the perception of Dmitry Donskoy has developed is dramatic: the prince's involvement in the battle, which at some point made him the central figure of the pantheon of heroes of the Tsardom of Moscow, turned into the "Kulikovo captivity", which made it impossible for the image of the prince to be perceived differently. Thus, the image of the prince gradually declined in popularity during the 19th and early 20th centuries, and his canonization was postponed indefinitely. It is noteworthy that it only became possible to canonize Dmitry Donskoy at the end of the Soviet era due to a favourable historical policy meant to give a new perspective on the perception of the prince. The post-Soviet times have seen a new stage in the "resurrection" of the hero; however, the authors argue that there are things that impede it, which are connected with the peculiarities of cultural memory and the way in which Dmitry Donskoy is represented in it.