The article considers the phenomenon of multiculturalism in its connection with linguistic imagology. The author describes the differences between the liberal model of multiculturalism, recognized as utopian, and the polycentric model, rooted in postcolonial theory. The novelty of the research is seen in the fact that the ideas of multiculturalism are considered in comparison with the ideas of imagology, which also focuses on the issues of identity and otherness. Points of contact of two scientific directions are designated. The author shows that the phenomenon of multiculturalism is reflected in multicultural literature, the study of which has become particularly relevant with the acceleration of globalization. The article provides the vie...