The paper draws attention to the large number of divorces in contemporary Russia. It is emphasized that much of them fall on the first years of marriage. However, most of the surveys conducted in recent years have shown that the family is one of the leading positions in the structure of adolescent value. On the basis of this juxtaposition, it is concluded that young people need to be specially trained for family life. Contemporary family and the school cannot cope with this task. We have carried out a large-scale empirical study in eight regions of different federal districts of Russia, the results of which are shown in the paper. Total sample amounted of more than 7,000 people. The sample included respondents from large and small cities in Russia, as well as from the villages of nuclear and one-parent families, families with 1-2 children and also large families.

The research has shown that in the structure of life values the family still occupies the first position. It was also found that the vast majority of respondents emphasize the need to be specially trained for building a family. However, only one third of respondents believe that this can be done by conducting special courses on the family and family life in schools. For the majority of the respondents, their parent family is not a guide or a pattern. The greatest impact on the youth in the process of growing up is produced by mother. Fathers, occupying the second position, prove to be outsiders with a large gap. It was revealed that a generalized portrait of the mother and the father are completely positive, i.e. they do not contain any negative characteristics. The top ten most popular qualities to describe father and mother are the following: kind, reliable, caring, responsible, family-making, smart. Other qualities of the top ten highest priorities differ.

The paper presents a theoretical analysis of the role of identification with «father figure» on a par with its symbolic functions in the development and formation of child self-identity. Particular attention is paid to the potential application of cultural historical psychology and modern psychotherapeutic approach in studying the processes of internalization and identification. The empirical study was conducted in 3-4 and 4-5 years children using Children’s Apperception Test (CAT) by S. Bellak and L. Bellak. the Methods of phenomenological analysis were used, elements of content analysis were applied to the results of perception, projective comments and stories of children after the third CAT table by S. Bellak and L. Bellak was produced to them, and also qualitative analysis of child behaviour are presented. The results have revealed the change of «father figure» perception, which is an external marker of identification deeper processes. Particular material gives basis to discuss qualitative transformation of «father figure» identification taking into account age-related categories, and also the mechanism of identifying and assigning the appropriate emotional experience. By identifying the «father figure» as prior aggressive category the child affirmation receives a meaningful and socially accepted form of manifestation that marks an important stage in the development of self-identity.