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The article reveals the problem of distortion of the socialist principles of Soviet trade in the economic practice of the state of the 1960s — 1980s, which is insufficiently illuminated in historical science, using the example of letters from Soviet citizens collected in the fund of the Russian State Archive of Contemporary History. Based on a review of a significant amount of archival sources, various kinds of deformations occurring in trade activities and their fixation in the public mind are demonstrated. It is emphasized that people’s ideas were the most important dimensions of social life, the economic dynamics of Soviet society and the social psychology of citizens. Particular attention is paid to the analysis of legislation as the main mechanism for regulating the development of the trade and economic area. It is argued that the lack of formation of the regulatory framework gave rise to such reality phenomena as deficit, overcharging, short weight and measurement of buyers, squandering, embezzlement, robbing and theft of property, black market turnover. The circumstances of the incorporation of the phenomenon of fellowship and nepotism into the stable custom of everyday life are commented. The author comes to the conclusion that class conflicts emerged in the socio-economic structure of Soviet society in the 1960s — 1980s, while the urgent facts of the system’s crisis were generated by the duality of the line of power.

The behavioral features of the actions of Soviet citizens in the context of the exercise of the right to use in the second half of the 20th century and the stereotypes that they have developed in connection with this are examined. The results of a comparative analysis of the dynamics of recorded cases of theft, both material and financial, are presented. The study is based on archival data. The question is raised about the features of the socio-economic development of Soviet society. It is noted that the topic of ownership was one of the key in the life of Soviet society. Particular attention is paid to the reaction of people to situations related to the growing pace of property acquisition. The novelty of the study is seen in the fact that the author demonstrated the modernization of mental and worldview characteristics, features of consciousness both among the corporate leadership and among urban and rural workers, which later became the basis for the formation of a new society structure. The conclusion is drawn on the formation of new consumer ideals associated with the manifestation of individualism in the realization of property rights, the commercialization of life manifestations, the formation of entrepreneurial initiatives. The author dwells on the problem associated with transformation processes in the spiritual sphere of life in Soviet society, where collectivist ideals collapsed and private property morality was affirmed.