| Competition: | Soviet Top League |
| Season: | 1981 |
| Winners: | Dinamo Kiev |
| Relegated: | SKA Rostov-na-Donu, Tavriya Simferopol |
| Continentalcup1: | European Cup |
| Continentalcup1 Qualifiers: | Dinamo Kiev |
| Continentalcup2: | Cup Winners' Cup |
| Continentalcup2 Qualifiers: | SKA Rostov-na-Donu |
| Continentalcup3: | UEFA Cup |
| Continentalcup3 Qualifiers: | Spartak Moscow Dinamo Moscow Dinamo Tbilisi |
| League Topscorer: | (23) Ramaz Shengelia (Dinamo Tb.) |
| Matches: | 306 |
| Total Goals: | 779 |
| Prevseason: | 1980 |
| Nextseason: | 1982 |
Statistics of Soviet Top League for the 1981 season.
It was contested by 18 teams, and Dynamo Kyiv won the championship.
(league appearances and goals listed in brackets)
| 1. FC Dynamo Kyiv | |
| Goalkeepers: Mykhaylo Mykhaylov (25), Yuriy Romenskyi (9). Defenders: Volodymyr Lozynskyi (34 / 2), Anatoliy Konkov (31), Sergei Baltacha (29), Anatoliy Demyanenko (29 / 2), Oleksandr Boyko (22), Oleksandr Sorokalet (10 / 1), Serhiy Zhuravlyov (5), Viktor Kaplun (5), Yuriy Makhynya (3). Midfielders: Andriy Bal (30 / 3), Leonid Buryak (29 / 9), Volodymyr Bezsonov (25 / 2), Volodymyr Veremeyev (24 / 4), Yaroslav Dumanskyi (12), Viktor Kolotov (4), Vasyl Rats (2). Forwards: Vadym Yevtushenko (31 / 8), Oleg Blokhin (29 / 19), Viktor Khlus (28 / 8), Aleksandr Khapsalis (21), Stepan Yurchyshyn (1). Manager: Valeriy Lobanovskyi. Transferred out during the season: . | |
| 2. FC Spartak Moscow | |
| Goalkeepers: Rinat Dasayev (34), Aleksei Prudnikov (1). Defenders: Vladimir Sochnov (32 / 1), Viktor Samokhin (27 / 1), Oleg Romantsev (25), Alexander Mirzoyan (22), Gennady Morozov (14), Gocha Machaidze (1). Midfielders: Sergey Shavlo (34 / 8), Fyodor Cherenkov (32 / 4), Sergei Shvetsov (25 / 5), Yevgeni Sidorov (21), Boris Pozdnyakov (14), Manuchar Machaidze (2). Forwards: Yuri Gavrilov (33 / 21), Edgar Gess (33 / 11), Aleksandr Kalashnikov (32 / 9), Sergey Rodionov (29 / 9), Vladimir Safronenko (12 / 1), Sergei Krestenenko (9), Sergei Argudyayev (2). Manager: Konstantin Beskov. Transferred out during the season: . | |
| 3. FC Dinamo Tbilisi | |
| Goalkeepers: Otar Gabelia (31), Karlo Mchedlidze (5). Defenders: Nodar Khizanishvili (30), Tengiz Sulakvelidze (29 / 4), Giorgi Tavadze (28 / 1), Aleksandre Chivadze (28 / 2), Shota Khinchagashvili (19), Tamaz Kostava (15), David Mudzhiri (13), Amiran Andguladze (9), Levan Melikia (7), Giorgi Chilaia (4). Midfielders: Vitaly Daraselia (33 / 2), Zaur Svanadze (33 / 2), Nugzar Kakilashvili (25 / 5), Gocha Dzhohadze (7 / 1), Amiran Minashvili (1). Forwards: Vladimir Gutsaev (33 / 3), Ramaz Shengelia (31 / 23), Vazha Zhvania (19 / 4), David Kipiani (18 / 8), Revaz Chelebadze (6 / 3), Grigol Tsaava (5). Manager: Nodar Akhalkatsi. Transferred out during the season: . |