Abstract: The goal of this study is to identify new trends in the Serbian and Albanian media during the era of the Covid-19 pandemic, which contributed to the formation of Russia's image in the Balkans.
The scientific novelty of the study lies in the fact that for the first time on the material of the popular Serbian and Albanian media in the era of the Covid-19 pandemic, the image of Russia in the Balkans is being studied.
As a result, the authors give a generalized description of how the image of the state is formed. This article traces the main realities of relations between Russia and the Balkans. Particular attention is paid to the influence of the West on the formation of communication trends in the media of the Balkan region. The authors seek to trace the process of formation of new trends that emerged in the media of Albania and Serbia in 2020-2021. Also, attention is paid to what new trends have appeared in the Serbian and Albanian media in relation to Russia against the background of the pandemic.