Introduction. Historical representations are recreated and stored in memory images of objects (facts) of the past. The article presents the results of a study of the features of historical representations among representatives of various age groups. It is re-

vealed that the clarity of historical representations is the lowest in the group of young people. The article discusses the ways of forming historical ideas when teaching history at school.

Materials and methods. The questionnaire method was used to study historical representations. Respondents were asked to recall images of historical figures and events, to assess the degree of clarity of these images on a 10-point scale, to recall of which sources they were created.

Results. It was revealed that the clarity of historical representations is the lowest in the group of young people; representatives of both middle and older generations have higher clarity of historical representations. For young people, the most important source of historical representations is a history textbook, and for the older generation — artistic literature, cinema, personal experience.

Discussion. It is necessary to improve the teaching of history at school. It should be bright, based on visual and emotionally saturated images of people and events, but no less important is the rational analysis of the problem field associated with their understanding, the comparison of different points of view available in science. It is necessary to make greater use of the possibilities of students' project and search activities, information and communication technologies, and rely on images created by world artistic culture.

Conclusion. Historical representations are an important component of historical knowledge. It is necessary to increase the importance of studying history at school, to improve the methodology of forming historical representations.

Historical representations are an important form of cognition of historical reality, from which the process of formation of historical knowledge begins and in which, already at the final stage, it finds its most concentrated expression after rational comprehension of information;

The clarity of historical representations is the lowest in the group of young people, which indicates the need to improve the process of historical education in a modern school;

Teaching history at school should be based on a combination of vivid images of people and events and their rational understanding, the use of project and search activities of students, based on images of artistic literature and cinema, on new opportunities of information and communication technologies.

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