The article is devoted to the analysis of the mechanisms of formation of a dual “Soviet-Orthodox” identity in the context of the dynamics of memory of the Soviet period of history. Variants of reconciliation of identities by Soviet citizens in the post-war years are considered. The study of the mechanisms of reconciliation of seemingly contradictory identities allows us to turn to the analysis of the influence of collective memory about significant events of the Soviet past. The main conclusion of the work is that it is necessary to share political loyalties as identification of oneself with state institutions and a plurality of cultural identities associated with collective memory. The memory of the Great Patriotic War, in particular, the construction of the crypto-Orthodox narratives of the Soviet leaders, plays an important role in uniting the Soviet and Orthodox identities.

The paper is devoted to the analysis of public speeches by Russian Orthodox Church members on socially significant issues in the late Soviet period. It is shown that, despite serious limitations, the Church continued to play a significant role in the functioning of the semantic foundations of national politics. This role was associated with active patriotic rhetoric, which to a certain extent acquired a pro-Soviet character. Soviet patriotism gave the Orthodox community the opportunity to remain a part of Soviet society in a cultural sense and demonstrate loyalty to the state. In addition, it corresponded to the expanding social demand of believers for a synthesis of Soviet and Orthodox values.