Introduction. The article examines the process of transformation of the traditional religious ethical ideal rooted in Russian Orthodox philosophy into the moral system of Soviet society. The phenomenon of the «substantial morality» of the early USSR is analyzed, a morality based on the direct subordination of the individual to an overarching state goal. The internal contradiction of this system is revealed, consisting in the suppression of subjective freedom and moral reflection, which ultimately led to its crisis and disintegration.
