He article reveals the results of the project “The perception of Europe among young people in the context of current geopolitical transformations”. A focus group discussion was the main method of gathering empirical information. To assess and conceptualize the data obtained, the results were discussed with 15 experts. The study made it possible to identify the main contextual, communicative and subject factors, as well as assess their impact on the perception of Europe by modern Russian youth. The most important "perceptual filter" affecting the "core" image of Europe is Russian system of education. Despite all the zigzags of the foreign policy course, it retains its Eurocentric orientation, both in organization and in content of educational process at various levels. As far as peripheral components are concerned, Internet resources play a crucial role in their formation, especially such as social networks, blogs, drains and online games. Traditional media have practically lost the role of "perceptual filter" in the youth audience. The study revealed the existing generational gap in the perception of Europe, and it is mostly connected with the nature of personal experience.
