The article is a summary of the results of the study of images of power and politicians carried out since 1993. This unique project provided a vast array of empirical data on the state of political consciousness of Russian society, presented in the new book “Power and Leaders in Perceptions of Russian Citizens. A quarter century of observations. (1993-2018)”. In the article, which is a journal version of the Conclusion of the book, the author tries to rise above empiricism and find answers to a number of complex theoretical questions that are debated in modern political science, such as the nature and prospects of democratic transit in Russia; the problem of overcoming the value split of post-Soviet society; most important contradictions of the mass political consciousness. 25 years of participatory observations allowed the author to offer her own interpretation of the theory of political perception, test the author’s methodology of analyzing political consciousness and show possible vectors for its further development.