Abstract: This article examines the problems of representation of images of the past in modern historical fiction film and TV series. The relevance of the topic is substantiated by current popularity of this genre of cinematography among audience. The younger generation refers to the historical fiction films as an easy-to-grasp source of information on the historical facts, events, processes and personalities. However, such trend carries a threat of disorientation of mass audience regarding the historical past. The article analyzes the concept of “image”, “artistic image”, “image of the past” and their specific features in the context of the subject of research. Attention is turned to complexity of interrelation of the concept of “historical film” and the introduced into mass media terminology stable lexical construct “pseudohistorical film”. The combination of two approaches became the foundation for this research: culturological approach allowed viewing the degree of representation of images of the mast in historical fiction cinematography; while multifaceted nature of the subject of research and versatility of theoretical and empirical materials suggest referring to interdisciplinary approach. Based on the analysis of modern historical fiction feature films and TV series, the author highlights the criteria that allows assessing the adequacy of image of the past and historical reality depicted on the screen. Such criteria include: veracity of reconstruction of material culture of a specific historical period; events and occurrences, social and historical processes of the reproduced historical time; accuracy of interpretation of mentality of a particular cultural-historical period; original view of the film creators upon history; original understanding and interpretation of historical processes, events and phenomena, etc. Within the framework of this article, emphasis is made on the first two criteria.

Abstract: In this day and age, the problems of preservation of cultural memory and heritage alongside actualization of cultural experience become more and more relevant. As a response to the trends of “obliviousness”, culture’s self-regulation mechanisms become mainstream, enhancing the value and semantic aspect of the traditions. The author operates the concept of “cultural memory”, interpreted following J. Assmann, as a particular form of revival and translation of cultural meanings and values of the past onto the present. The subject of this research is the currently popular artistic method of historical reconstruction with the elements of reality in a documentary TV series as one of the key forms of preservation of cultural memory. The article is based on the use of axiological and cultural-functional approaches that allow revealing the functional value of such TV projects for social and cultural processes in the life of modern society. The novelty consists in examination of the popular TV projects, structured in accordance with the genre of documentary TV series, employing the method of historical reconstruction and elements of reality as a form of preservation of cultural memory. The effectiveness of such projects is ensured by the specific synthesis on the one hand, and the inherent to modern mass visual culture penchant for the unique and fascinating images; while on the other hand – the use of such quality in formation of the historically authentic situations of real actions of participants of the projects, sincere experiencing of the clash of life pattern and peculiarities of relationship characteristic to the past. Thus, the content of cultural memory attains embodiment in the materials that possess visual effectiveness, and at the same time, translate authentic meanings of historical events relevant for preservation of cultural identity in the modern world.