Football had been played in Russia since the Russian Empire days in the early 1900s, but it was not until 1936, 19 years after the Russian Revolution, that the Soviet Union established a national championship of clubs. Before then local leagues in Moscow and Saint Petersburg/Leningrad were the only prominent league competitions in the country, with some national championships held intermittently from 1912 to 1933, made up of city selections.
Teams in bold indicates doubles won with the Soviet Cup before 1992 and with the Russian Cup thereafter. Teams in italics include Cup winners between the 2nd and 3rd league places.
Football championship of Russian Empire YearChampions(number of titles)Runners-upThird placeLeading goalscorer Goals1912Saint PetersburgMoscowKharkov / Kiev1913OdessaSaint PetersburgKharkov / Moscow1914 cancelled due to World War I
Football championship of Russian SFSR among city teams YearChampions(number of titles)Runners-upThird placeLeading goalscorer Goals1920MoscowMKS TverSamara / Mars Yaroslavl1921 no championship1922MoscowKharkov Perm / Kazan1923 no championship1924PetrogradMoscowViatka / Kazan no championship in 1925-261927MoscowWestern OblastNorth Caucasus Krai1928MoscowLeningradAutonomous republics no championship in 1929-301931MoscowLeningradNorth Caucasus Krai / Nizhniy Novgorod Krai1932LeningradMoscowSamara / Sverdlovsk1933 no championship1934VoronezhIvanovoSverdlovsk1935 no championship
USSR championship Note: according to Dynamo sports society, the first Soviet football championship took place in 1924,History (История). Kharkiv Oblast organization of the Physical Culture and Sports Society Dynamo Ukraine. while other sources (megabook.ru) indicate that the first championship took place earlier in 1923. In Moscow it was decided to consider the football tournament of the 1924 All-Union festival of physical culture as the first national championship.Rodionov, S. The Kharkiv football: from A to Z (Харьковский футбол: от А до Я). Sport.ua. 30 June 2005 YearChampions(number of titles)Runners-upThird placeLeading goalscorer Goals1923MoscowSouthern Railways (Kharkov) 1924Kharkov PetrogradYakov Alferov21925 no championship1926 no championship1927 no championship1928MoscowUkrainian SSR1929 no championship1930 no championship1931MoscowRussian SFSRTranscaucasian SFSR1932MoscowLeningradVasily Smirnov41933 no championship1934 no championship1935MoscowLeningradKharkovMikhail Yakushev6
Russian SFSR championship Republican level competitions among teams from the Russian SFSR. Until 1960 it included teams that were considered amateurs, after 1960 the competition was conducted as part of the Soviet Second League.Source: Footballfacts.ru YearChampions(number of titles)Runners-upThird placeLeading goalscorer Goals1948Dinamo KrasnodarDinamo PermKrasnoye Znamia Orekhovo-Zuyevo1949Dinamo StavropolDinamo GorkiyKrasnoye Znamia Pavlovskiy posad1950MVO MoscowSKA KhabarovskDinamo Rostov-na-Donu1951ODO SverdlovskVympel KorolyovDinamo Rostov-na-Donu1952Vympel KorolyovDinamo Rostov-na-DonuZvezda Vyborg1953Torpedo KrasnoyarskKrylia Sovetov VoronezhZenit Stupino1954Trud StupinoTorpedo TaganrogSKA Khabarovsk1955Torpedo TaganrogZenit IzhevskIskra Zelenodolsk1956Avangard SormovoTerek GroznyiLokomotiv Saratov1957Metallurg VolgogradSovetskiy Raion KrasnoyarskTorpedo Vladimir1958Trud RamenskoyeSKVO KuibyshevTrud Tambov1959Admiralteyets LeningradTrudovye Rezervy LeningradTrud VoronezhZIP-EnergiyaTrud ZelenodolskSKA Novosibirsk1960Trud VoronezhIrtysh OmskVolga Kalinin1961Krylia Sovetov KuibyshevTerek GroznyiDinamo Kirov1962Spartak KrasnodarTrud VoronezhUralmash Sverdlovsk1963Volga KalininDinamo KirovZvezda Serpukhov1964Rostselmash Rostov-na-DonuTerek GroznyiTekstilshchik Ivanovo1965Spartak NalchikRubin KazanSokol Saratov1966Lokomotiv KalugaSpartak OrdzhonikidzeMetallurg Tula1967Dinamo MakhachkalaVolga UlyanovskVolgar Astrakhan1968Mashuk PyatigorskKalininets SverdlovskSpartak Belgorod1969Druzhba MaykopSaturn RybinskIskra Smolensk1970Avtomobilist NalchikSpartak Yoshkar-OlaKuzbass Kemerovo1971Zvezda PermAvtomobilist NalchikIskra Smolensk1972Kuzbass KemerovoMetallurg LipetskAmur Blagoveshchensk1973Kuban KrasnodarIskra SmolenskUralmash Sverdlovsk1974Terek GroznyiRubin Kazan1975Dinamo MakhachkalaTerek Groznyi1976Iskra SmolenskUralmash SverdlovskDinamo Leningrad1977Lokomotiv KalugaFakel VoronezhSKA Khabarovsk1978Voronezh OblastStavropol KraiKrasnodar Krai1979no competition / Spartakiad of the Peoples of the USSR1980Rotor VolgogradZvezda PermTorpedo Tolyatti1981Dinamo KirovTekstilshchik IvanovoDinamo Barnaul1982no competition / Spartakiad of the Peoples of the USSR1983Krylia Sovetov KuibyshevSpartak OrdzhonikidzeZnamya Truda Orekhovo-Zuyevo1984Zorky KrasnogorskBaltika KaliningradKrylia Sovetov Kuibyshev1985Geolog TyumenRostselmash Rostov-na-DonuDinamo Bryansk1986Metallurg LipetskSokol SaratovKrylia Sovetov Kuibyshev1987Kuban KrasnodarZvezda PermTekstilschik Ivanovo1988Tsement NovorossiyskUralmash SverdlovskDinamo Bryansk1989Dinamo BryanskTsement NovorossiyskTekstilshchik Kamyshin1990no competition1991Krylia Sovetov KuibyshevRotor Volgograd
Soviet League (1936–1991)
Soviet Group A YearChampions(number of titles)Runners-upThird placeLeading goalscorer Goals1936 (spring)Dynamo MoscowDynamo KievSpartak MoscowMikhail Semichastny (Dynamo Moscow)61936 (autumn)Spartak MoscowDynamo MoscowDinamo TbilisiGeorgy Glazkov (Spartak Moscow)71937Dynamo Moscow (2)Spartak MoscowDynamo KievBoris Paichadze (Dinamo Tbilisi)Leonid Rumyantsev (Spartak Moscow)Vasily Smirnov (Dynamo Moscow)81938Spartak Moscow (2)CDKA MoscowMetallurg MoscowMakar Goncharenko (Dinamo Kiev)191939Spartak Moscow (3)Dinamo TbilisiCDKA MoscowGrigory Fedotov (CDKA Moscow)211940Dynamo Moscow (3)Dinamo TbilisiSpartak MoscowGrigory Fedotov (CDKA Moscow)Sergei Solovyov (Dynamo Moscow)211941Cancelled on 24 June due to World War II (Dynamo Moscow had the best record at that time)1942–1944Cancelled due to World War II
Soviet First Group YearChampions(number of titles)Runners-upThird placeLeading goalscorer Goals1945Dynamo Moscow (4)CDKA MoscowTorpedo MoscowVsevolod Bobrov (CDKA Moscow)241946CDKA MoscowDynamo MoscowDinamo TbilisiAleksandr Ponomaryov (Torpedo Moscow)181947CDKA Moscow (2)Dynamo MoscowDinamo TbilisiVsevolod Bobrov (CDKA Moscow)Valentin Nikolayev (CDKA Moscow)Sergei Solovyov (Dynamo Moscow)141948CDKA Moscow (3)Dynamo MoscowSpartak MoscowSergei Solovyov (Dynamo Moscow)251949Dynamo Moscow (5)CDKA MoscowSpartak MoscowNikita Simonyan (Spartak Moscow)26
Soviet Class A YearChampions(number of titles)Runners-upThird placeLeading goalscorer Goals1950CDKA Moscow (4)Dynamo MoscowDinamo TbilisiNikita Simonyan (Spartak Moscow)341951CDSA Moscow (5)Dinamo TbilisiShakhter StalinoAvtandil Gogoberidze (Dinamo Tbilisi)161952Spartak Moscow (4)Dynamo KievDynamo MoscowAndrey Zazroyev (Dynamo Kiev)111953Spartak Moscow (5)Dinamo TbilisiTorpedo MoscowNikita Simonyan (Spartak Moscow)141954Dynamo Moscow (6)Spartak MoscowSpartak MinskAnatoli Ilyin (Spartak Moscow)Vladimir Ilyin (Dynamo Moscow)Antonin Sochnev (Trudovye Reservy Leningrad)111955Dynamo Moscow (7)Spartak MoscowCDSA MoscowEduard Streltsov (Torpedo Moscow)151956Spartak Moscow (6)Dynamo MoscowCDSA MoscowVasily Buzunov (ODO Sverdlovsk)171957Dynamo Moscow (8)Torpedo MoscowSpartak MoscowVasily Buzunov (CSK MO Moscow)161958Spartak Moscow (7)Dynamo MoscowCSK MO MoscowAnatoli Ilyin (Spartak Moscow)191959Dynamo Moscow (9)Lokomotiv MoscowDinamo TbilisiZaur Kaloyev (Dinamo Tbilisi)161960Torpedo MoscowDynamo KievDynamo MoscowZaur Kaloyev (Dinamo Tbilisi)Gennady Gusarov (Torpedo Moscow)201961Dynamo KievTorpedo MoscowSpartak MoscowGennady Gusarov (Torpedo Moscow)221962Spartak Moscow (8)Dynamo MoscowDinamo TbilisiMikhail Mustygin (Belarus Minsk)17
Soviet Class A, 1st Group YearChampions(number of titles)Runners-upThird placeLeading goalscorer Goals1963Dynamo Moscow (10)Spartak MoscowDinamo MinskOleg Kopaev (SKA Rostov-on-Don)271964Dinamo TbilisiTorpedo MoscowCSKA MoscowVladimir Fedotov (CSKA Moscow)161965Torpedo Moscow (2)Dynamo KievCSKA MoscowOleg Kopaev (SKA Rostov-on-Don)181966Dynamo Kiev (2)SKA Rostov-on-DonNeftchi BakuIlya Datunashvili (Dinamo Tbilisi)201967Dynamo Kiev (3)Dynamo MoscowDinamo TbilisiMikhail Mustygin (Dinamo Minsk)191968Dynamo Kiev (4)Spartak MoscowTorpedo MoscowGeorgi Gavasheli (Dinamo Tbilisi)Berador Abduraimov (Pakhtakor Tashkent)221969Spartak Moscow (9)Dynamo KievDinamo TbilisiNikolai Osyanin (Spartak Moscow)Vladimir Proskurin (SKA Rostov-on-Don)Dzhemal Kherhadze (Torpedo Kutaisi)16
Soviet Supreme League (Soviet Top League) YearChampions(number of titles)Runners-upThird placeLeading goalscorer Goals1970CSKA Moscow (6)Dynamo MoscowSpartak MoscowGivi Nodia (Dinamo Tbilisi)171971Dynamo Kiev (5)Ararat YerevanDinamo TbilisiEduard Malofeev (Dinamo Minsk)161972Zorya VoroshilovgradDynamo KievDinamo TbilisiOleg Blokhin (Dynamo Kiev)141973Ararat YerevanDynamo KievDynamo MoscowOleg Blokhin (Dynamo Kiev)181974Dynamo Kiev (6)Spartak MoscowChornomorets OdessaOleg Blokhin (Dynamo Kiev)201975Dynamo Kiev (7)Shakhtar DonetskDynamo MoscowOleg Blokhin (Dynamo Kiev)181976 (spring)Dynamo Moscow (11)Ararat YerevanDinamo TbilisiArkady Andreasian (Ararat Yerevan)81976 (autumn)Torpedo Moscow (3)Dynamo KievDinamo TbilisiAleksandr Markin (Zenit Leningrad)131977Dynamo Kiev (8)Dinamo TbilisiTorpedo MoscowOleg Blokhin (Dynamo Kiev)171978Dinamo Tbilisi (2)Dynamo KievShakhtar DonetskGeorgi Yartsev (Spartak Moscow)191979Spartak Moscow (10)Shakhtar DonetskDynamo KievVitali Starukhin (Shakhtar Donetsk)261980Dynamo Kiev (9)Spartak MoscowZenit LeningradSergey Andreev (SKA Rostov-on-Don)201981Dynamo Kiev (10)Spartak MoscowDinamo TbilisiRamaz Shengelia (Dinamo Tbilisi)231982Dinamo MinskDynamo KievSpartak MoscowAndrei Yakubik (Pakhtakor Tashkent)231983Dnipro DnipropetrovskSpartak MoscowDinamo MinskYuri Gavrilov (Spartak Moscow)181984Zenit LeningradSpartak MoscowDnipro DnipropetrovskSergey Andreev (SKA Rostov-on-Don)201985Dynamo Kiev (11)Spartak MoscowDnipro DnipropetrovskOleg Protasov (Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk)351986Dynamo Kiev (12)Dynamo MoscowSpartak MoscowAleksandr Borodyuk (Dynamo Moscow)211987Spartak Moscow (11)Dnipro DnipropetrovskŽalgiris VilniusOleg Protasov (Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk)181988Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk (2)Dynamo KievTorpedo MoscowYevhen Shakhov (Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk)Aleksandr Borodyuk (Dynamo Moscow)161989Spartak Moscow (12)Dnipro DnipropetrovskDynamo KievSergey Rodionov (Spartak Moscow)161990Dynamo Kiev (13)CSKA MoscowDynamo MoscowOleg Protasov (Dynamo Kiev)Valery Shmarov (Spartak Moscow)121991CSKA Moscow (7)Spartak MoscowTorpedo MoscowIgor Kolyvanov (Dynamo Moscow)18
Russian League (1992–present)
Russian Top League YearChampions(number of titles)Runners-upThird placeLeading goalscorer Goals1992 Spartak Moscow (13) Spartak Vladikavkaz Dynamo Moscow Vali Gasimov (Dynamo Moscow, 1st–8th place) Yuri Matveyev (Uralmash, 9th–20th place)16201993 Spartak Moscow (14) Rotor VolgogradDynamo Moscow Viktor Panchenko (KamAZ Naberezhnye Chelny)211994 Spartak Moscow (15) Dynamo Moscow Lokomotiv Moscow Igor Simutenkov (Dynamo Moscow)211995 Spartak-Alania VladikavkazLokomotiv MoscowSpartak Moscow Oleg Veretennikov (Rotor Volgograd)251996 Spartak Moscow (16) Alania Vladikavkaz Rotor Volgograd Aleksandr Maslov (Rostselmash Rostov-on-Don)231997 Spartak Moscow (17) Rotor VolgogradDynamo Moscow Oleg Veretennikov (Rotor Volgograd)22
Russian Top Division YearChampions(number of titles)Runners-upThird placeLeading goalscorerмыФЩ Goals1998 Spartak Moscow (18) CSKA Moscow Lokomotiv Moscow Oleg Veretennikov (Rotor Volgograd)221999Spartak Moscow (19) Lokomotiv Moscow CSKA Moscow Georgi Demetradze (Alania Vladikavkaz)212000 Spartak Moscow (20) Lokomotiv Moscow Torpedo Moscow Dmitri Loskov (Lokomotiv Moscow)182001 Spartak Moscow (21)Lokomotiv Moscow Zenit Saint Petersburg Dmitri Vyazmikin (Torpedo Moscow)18
Russian Premier League