For the first time the influence of molecular structure and generation number of photochromic LC homo- and co-dendrimers with azobenzene terminal groups on the photoorientation processes induced by polarized light was studied. It is shown that liquid crystalline smectic or columnar phase formation enables to stabilize photoinduced alignment even at temperatures above the glass transition. Unusual dependence of values of photoinduced dichroism on the generation number was found. For the dendrimers of low generation (1st-3rd) an increase in generation number leads to a decrease in photoinduced dichroism, whereas for the dendrimers of 4th and 5th generation very high values of dichroism were found. These values are comparable with the dichroism for the well-studied before azobenzene-containing side chain polymers. Possible explanations of the observed peculiarities based on the spectral data, difference in phase behavior and aggregation phenomena are suggested. Possibilities of the optical image photorecording on the films of the photochromic LC-dendrimers were demonstrated. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.