Constructing and implementing the political image of the Head of the Republic of Karelia, Artur Parfenchikov, on social media

this article explores the processes of constructing and implementing the political image of top officials of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, using the case of Artur Parfenchikov, Head of the Republic of Karelia. In the context of the digitalization of public politics, social media platforms have become essential channels of political communication and tools for shaping the public image of authorities. The study focuses on analyzing the subject’s activity on VKontakte as a medium of political self-presentation, institutional legitimation, and civic mobilization. The theoretical framework includes the concepts of political image, digital communication, visual politics, and mediatized personalization of power. The empirical section is based on a combination of content and visual analysis of 216 posts published during the first quarter of 2025. The research identifies dominant image strategies ranging from institutional representation to emotional openness, reflecting the regional agenda and aimed at addressing challenges such as socio-economic instability, ethnopolitical diversity, and geopolitical pressure. The findings suggest that the digital platform functions not only as a channel of information dissemination but also as a stable mechanism for the symbolic stabilization of regional authority and the construction of personalized political legitimacy.

political image, digital communication, social media, image strategies, image of a regional leader, mediatization of politics