Abstract: The subject of this research is the images of Siberia conveyed in the travelogues of English and American travelers who visited the Russian Empire at the turn of the XIX – XX centuries. Using the method of imaginal geography, the author attempts to reconstructs the initial representations of foreigners on the region, and their transformation during the visit. Interest towards Siberia among the travelers aroused due to the writings of G. Kennan, who translated image of the land, where political prisoners were exiled to. The authors of travelogues did not hide their desire to see the depicted horrors, although their trip to the region has transformed these perceptions. The conclusion is made on versatility of the image of Siberia in the writings of English and American travelers. The initial representations on the land of exiled were rather clarified; the focus of attention shifted from the political prisoners to the criminogenic situation of the region. However, most travelogues tried to show a “different Siberia”, creating a new image of the resourceful Russian colony, which has yet to fulfill its economic potential and overcome cultural and economic discrepancy with the European “core”. Such shift of tone, from the land of exiled to the land of opportunities positively affected opinion of the society on the Russian authorities.