The article under studies relies on the understanding that the future of any state, society and mankind on the whole largely depends on the moral virtues of each individual. However, today's moral, spiritual and cultural basics are seriously challenged, annihilated and neglected. Resting on a comparative-legal analysis of the current criminal legislation of Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, the article deals with the peculiarities of the criminal and legal protection of morality, identifies in the above legislations certain common and distinctive features in the context of existence and construction of legal norms, investigates their structural elements and, eventually, determines types of punishment. It has been substantiated that Ukrainian criminal legislation is rather progressive in terms of the criminal and legal protection of morality. It might be explained by the fact that respective criminal and legal prohibitions not only have been reflected in a special section of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, but are also described there in detail. In addition, these prohibitions are marked with partial, but at the same time significant and expedient changes and supplements that completely comply with the present-day challenges (for instance, in terms of liability for cruel treatment of animals, vandalizing a grave or other burial place or the body of the deceased, etc.). Particular emphasis has been laid on the fact that due to the recent changes in the Criminal Code, which came into force in March, 2021, especially striking are the elements of such crimes as access to child pornography, its acquisition, storage, import, transportation or other movement, production, sale and dissemination (Art. 301-1), and carrying out of entertaining action of sexual character with participation of the minor (Art. 301-2). On the other hand, the criminal legislation of Moldova does not contain a separate structural part, which would systematize all socially hazardous actions regarding morality. Instead, certain articles on the protection of social morality are enshrined in different chapters of a Special Part of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Moldova. It is also important that the article under discussion draws a conclusion that the protection of social morality in the criminal legislation of Moldova comprises both traditional for most states norms (for example, liability for pimping, illegal acts on pornographic objects, vandalizing a grave, etc.) and not quite common ones (liability for incest, obtaining child prostitution services; cruel treatment of animals by a person responsible for the care, protection and welfare of animals, for training or veterinary care; vandalism; debauched actions in the form of exhibitionism, compelling to participate in making pornographic performances, etc.).