Abstract: This article investigates the place icons in the modern social and cultural space, the basic problems of modern religious art (icons), ways and tendencies of its development, the place of icons in popular culture, the perception of the icons individual and society, the transformation of the iconography in the context of socio-cultural dynamics, the role of contemporary religious art in the formation of Russia's cultural identity. This topic is highly relevant to the extensive background of globalization and the universalization of traditional bias towards the axiological values promoted by mass culture. The basic method - analytical and critical review of the scientific literature on the subject of research, including foreign and domestic works published over the past 10 years. Made a brief overview and critical analysis of the articles of modern researchers in the field of research. The conclusions that the sacred art contributes to the formation of cultural and ethnic identities, and such positive qualities as national patriotism, collegiality, stamina, desire for absolute values that are important (moral goodness, beauty, knowledge of the truth).