Who are They are the Heroes of Our Time?

Introduction. Based on a pilot empirical study conducted in 2023 in which more than 10 thousand 9th–11th grade schoolchildren from the Leningrad Region participated, the author cites the characteristics of the heroes of our time, as well as the typology of heroes developed through typological analysis. Using the method of incomplete sentences allowed us to obtain spontaneous, non-reflexive responses from respondents that reflect their ideas about the social phenomenon ”hero of our time”. Methodology and sources. The article systematizes scientific approaches to the study of the phenomenon of heroes and heroism, presents a theoretical study of the problematization of the concept of “hero”. The works of the following sociologists and psychologists are analyzed: B. Giesen, T. Schlechtriemen, S. Hook, S.T. Allison, G.R. Goethals, Z.E. Franco, K. Blau, F. Zimbardo, E.L. Kinsella, T.D. Ritchie, E.R. Igou, E. Jayawickreme, P. Di Stefano and O. Golz, and the categories through which the hero or ideas about heroes are researched. Results and discussion . The descriptive model “hero of our time” is presented in the article. This model was developed on the basis of the conducted research by means of aggregation and generalization of the answers received. The model includes value, cognitive, and behavioral aspects characteristic of a hero of our time. The types of heroes identified based on the results of the research are given. Conclusion. The most common types of heroes in the representations of schoolchildren are presented: “altruistic hero”, “ordinary hero”, “achieving hero”, “patriot hero” and “leader hero”. The applied aspect of the developed descriptive model is shown.