Image of politicians in terms of the voters’ perception (the case of the Russian presidential election, 2012)

The article is devoted to the influence of communicative factors on citizens’ electoral behavior. It analyses the public speeches of candidates for presidency, finds the features of verbal and nonverbal communication of politicians and investigates the nuances of politicians’ presentation in the media. The article proposes a model for the analysis of candidates’ public communication in that the structure of image’s formation is used as a basis. The research presents practical recommendations for the domestic candidates to increase a number of the loyal voters by means of public speeches