The article makes an attempt to determine the structure of ideas about patriotism and their influence on the civil-patriotic orientations of modern youth. The empirical basis of the study was the data of the questionnaire survey of Tyumen youth of age from 16 to 30 years (N = 1364). When processing the data the ranking method, contingency table analysis and cluster analysis were used. As a result, six homogeneous groups of respondents were identifi ed. They show diff erent ideas about patriotism. Four of them are meaningful: traditionalist patriotism (25%); traditionally state patriotism (14%); state and civil patriotism (14%); active civic patriotism (18%). The rest demonstrate extreme positions: a broad defi nition of patriotism (19%) and a complete denial of the positive role of patriotism in modern society (10%). The conclusion is made about the heterogeneity of ideas about patriotism among young people and signifi cant diff erences in various groups. This applies to both the content of the image and the degree of saturation of the associations. It is concluded that it is necessary to take into account these diff erences in the formation of an appropriate policy.