1974 Soviet Top League

The 1974 Soviet Top League was the 36th season of the Soviet top tier football competitions. It also was the 4th season since the establishing of Vysshaya Liga (Soviet Top League) in place of the Soviet Class A competition.

The league's title was contested by 16 teams, and Dynamo Kyiv won the championship which was their sixth title. The last season's champions Ararat placed fifth trailing 8 points. The newly promoted Chernomorets placed third qualifying for the continental competitions for the first time.

Pre-season promotion
Teams promoted from the 1973 Soviet First League:
 * Chernomorets Odessa – the champions (returning after three seasons absence)
 * Nistru Kishinev – the runners-up (returning after 10 seasons absence)

Pre-season relegation
Teams relegated to the 1974 Soviet First League:
 * Dinamo Minsk – the 15th place (ending their 14 seasons stay in the top-flight)
 * SKA Rostov-na-Donu – the 16th place (ending their 15 seasons stay in the top-flight)

Top scorers

 * 20 goals
 * Oleg Blokhin (Dynamo Kyiv)


 * 16 goals
 * Anatoli Ionkin (Kairat)
 * Vadim Pavlenko (Dynamo Moscow)


 * 13 goals
 * Vladimir Makarov (Chornomorets Odessa)


 * 12 goals
 * Vadim Nikonov (Torpedo Moscow)


 * 11 goals
 * Mikhail An (Pakhtakor)
 * Anatoly Baidachny (Dynamo Moscow)
 * Vladimir Onischenko (Dynamo Kyiv)
 * Vitali Starukhin (Shakhtar)


 * 10 goals
 * Vladimir Danilyuk (Karpaty)
 * Aleksandr Piskaryov (Spartak Moscow)