Football Championship of the Ukrainian SSR

Championship of the Ukrainian SSR
Country  Ukrainian SSR ( Soviet Union)
Founded 1921
1959
Folded 1991
Level on pyramid 1
Relegation to Amateurs
Domestic cup(s) Cup of the Ukrainian SSR
Last champions Naftovyk Okhtyrka (1st title)
(1991)
Most championships 4 - SKA Kiev and Kryvbas
8 - Dynamo Kharkiv (as Intercities champion)

The Championship of the Ukrainian SSR in football was a top competition of association football in the Ukrainian SSR in 1921-91. Number of Ukrainian clubs almost never competed in the championship such as Dynamo Kyiv.

The competitions were organized by the Football Federation of the Ukrainian SSR that was created in 1959 in place of the Football Section.

Historical outlook

Established as the All-Ukrainian inter-city competition in 1921, later it was included into number of All-Ukrainian Olympiads and Spartakiads. During several seasons the competitions were suspended due to football being identified as a "non-proletariat sport". Also because of a difficult social cataclysm in 1933 (Holodomor), there was no competitions as well.

With the establishment of the All-Union competitions in 1936 (united competitions), the republican football competitions in Ukraine were degraded to regional level. Since then and before the Great Patriotic War, the champion of Ukraine title was awarded to a team that would place first in the First Group (Persha Hrupa) of championship among sports societies and agencies. In 1960 those competitions were suspended and republican title was awarded to the top team of Ukrainian Zone in the Class B (Soviet Second League). The consistent and uniform All-Ukrainian Soviet competition take their beginning from 1960 as the first All-Ukrainian league was formed as part of the Soviet Second League, more known back then as the Klass B, with UkrSSR zone. In 1964 there were also established lower level republican competitions among collectives of physical culture (KFK). In 1970 the Soviet Second League was named as the second group of Klass A for the season, before changing to simply the Soviet Second League. For 1990 and 1991 seasons this competition was moved further down the Soviet league levels into the newly formed Soviet Second League B also earlier known as the G group or simply the Third League.

Until World War II up to 11 clubs competed in the Soviet championship. Nine clubs from Ukraine participated in the first season of the Soviet competition: Dynamo Kyiv (I Division); Dynamo Dnipropetrovsk and Dynamo Kharkiv (II Division); Dynamo Odessa, Spartak Kharkiv, Ugolschiki Staline, Lokomotyv Kyiv (III Division); Traktor Plant Kharkiv, Stal Dnipropetrovsk (IV Division). Later other clubs has entered the competition: Silmash Kharkiv, Frunze Plant Kostiantynivka, Sudostroitel Mykolaiv, and Dzerzhynets Voroshylovhrad.

The Ukrainian club competition in the Second League had existed and prior to 1963, but was not such an exclusive and consistent part of the Soviet League system. In 1970 and 1990 there were few reformations. In 1970 the First League was reduced to a single group and, because of that, the Second League extended into upper and lower (B) divisions. The lower division was named as the Second League B and for the next season was liquidated. In 1990 a similar reform was taken upon the Second League. Its 10 regional groups were reduced to just three still by the regional principal while the league was renamed into the Buffer League (West, Center, and East). This reform also introduced what was planned to be a fourth level of professional competition allowing each republic to have its own professional league. That fourth level competition was named as the Second League, the former name of the Buffer League.

Top 3 Finishers

Championship of cities

The Championship became established in 1921 as inter-cities competition of the Ukrainian SSR. The city teams consisted of different players from various teams of the particular city. Until 1930 the competition took place in Kharkiv, in 1931 it was conducted in Kiev, and in 1932 – in Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhia.

In 1936 the competition was consolidated into the Soviet competitions with some of its teams qualified for the Soviet Top League. The championship itself became a republican level competition with its best team qualifying for the Soviet competitions.

SeasonGroupChampionRunner-up3rd Position
1921 Kharkiv Mestran Odessa Mykolaiv
Club of Artyom Taganrog
1922 Shturm Kharkiv Mestran Odessa Kiev
Mykolaiv
1923 Kharkiv Lenin Yuzivka Mestran Odessa
1924 Shturm Kharkiv Mestran Odessa Lenin Staline
1925 no competitions
1926 no competitions
1927 RABIS Kharkiv Raikom Metalistiv Mykolaiv Mestran Odessa
1928 Dynamo Kharkiv Metalist Horlivka Raikom Metalistiv Mykolaiv
1929 no competitions
1930 no competitions
1931 Dynamo Kyiv Serp i Molot Kharkiv Shakhtar Kadiyivka
Andre Marti
1932 Dynamo Kharkiv Donbas Dynamo Dnipropetrovsk
1933 no competitions
1934 Dynamo Kharkiv Dynamo Kyiv Spartak Vinnytsia
Dynamo Odessa
1935 Dynamo Dnipropetrovsk Dynamo Kyiv Dynamo Kharkiv
1936 Dynamo Kyiv Dynamo Odessa Stal Dnipropetrovsk
Lokomotyv Kyiv

Championship of sports societies and agencies

The competitions were considered to be amateur. In Soviet Union officially all sports players were amateur athletes, however to differentiate level of teams, there were teams of sports societies and agencies (amateurs) and teams of masters (professionals).

SeasonGroupChampionRunner-up3rd Position
1936 Ordzhonikidze Factory Kramatorsk Stal Dnipropetrovsk UBCA Kyiv
1937 Spartak Dnipropetrovsk Zenit Staline Stalinets Kharkiv
1938 Dzerzhynets Voroshylovhrad Stal Dniprodzerzhynsk Dynamo Mykolaiv
1939 Lokomotyv Zaporizhia Kharchovyk Odessa Lokomotyv Kharkiv
1940 Lokomotyv Zaporizhia Stakhanovets Ordzhonikidze Avanhard Kramatorsk
1941-45 no competitions World War II
1946 Spartak Uzhhorod BO Kyiv Dzerzhynets Kharkiv
1947 Bilshovyk Mukacheve Avanhard Kramatorsk Lokomotyv Kyiv
1948 1 Torpedo Odessa Dynamo Uzhhorod Dynamo Vinnytsia
2 Stal Kostiantynivka Military Unit 25750 (Kyiv) Stal Dniprodzerzhynsk
Play-off Torpedo Odessa Stal Kostiantynivka Dynamo Uzhhorod
1949 1 Metalurh Dniprodzerzhynsk Metalurh Kostiantynivka Traktor Kirovohrad
2 BO Kyiv Spartak Stanislav Lokomotyv Ternopil
Play-off BO Kyiv Metalurh Dniprodzerzhynsk
1950 Spartak Uzhhorod Labor Reserves Voroshylovhrad BO Kyiv
1951 BO Kyiv OBO Lviv Mashynobudivnyk Kyiv
1952 Metalurh Zaporizhia Chervonyi Prapor Mykolaiv Iskra Mukacheve
1953 Spartak Uzhhorod Spartak Kherson Torpedo Taganrog
1954 Mashynobudivnyk Kyiv Spartak Stanislav Budivelnyk Mykolaiv
1955 Spartak Stanislav Spartak Kherson Torpedo Kirovohrad
1956 Shakhtar Stakhanov Mashynobudivnyk Kyiv OBO Odessa
1957 Odessa MD Lokomotyv Artemivsk Mashynobudivnyk Kyiv
1958 Arsenal Kyiv Metalurh Nikopol Naftovyk Drohobych
1959 Avanhard Zhovti Vody Torpedo Kharkiv Odessa MD

First League

Not a part of the Ukrainian republican championship, competitions in the Soviet First League had a group named Ukraine

SeasonGroupChampionRunner-up3rd Position
1947 1 Lokomotyv Kharkiv Shakhtar Staline Kharchovyk Odessa
1948 1 Lokomotyv Kharkiv Stal Dnipropetrovsk Shakhtar Staline
2 Bilshovyk Mukacheve DO Kyiv Spartak Lviv
Play-off Lokomotyv Kharkiv Stal Dnipropetrovsk DO Kyiv
1949 1 Kharchovyk Odessa Spartak Lviv SKA Kyiv

Class B/Second League

While many Ukrainian teams competed in the Class B before 1960, it was not until then when they were organized into own republican competition which was officially considered as the one among teams of masters (professional teams).

Note: until 1963 Class B was the second division of the Soviet football competition, analog of the First League with several zones formed by territorial principle. Since then it was degraded into the third and later renamed as the Soviet Second League.

Ukrainian competitions consisted of two zones until 1970, when it was restructured into two hierarchical leagues. After 1971 teams of the lower league lost their professional status (teams of masters).

For 1990 and 1991 the Soviet Second League was again restructured and degraded farther into the fourth division of the competition yielding to the newly formed Buffer League. Buffer League (a.k.a. Second League) covered much bigger area for the competition, while the Second League (a.k.a. Lower Second League) was assigned specifically for most of the Soviet republics including Ukraine.

SeasonGroupChampionRunner-up3rd Position
1960 1 Sudnobudivnyk Mykolaiv Lokomotyv Vinnytsia Arsenal Kyiv
2 Metalurh Zaporizhia SKA Odessa Trudovi Rezervy Luhansk
Play-off Metalurh Zaporizhia Sudnobudivnyk Mykolaiv
1961 1 Chornomorets Odessa Lokomotyv Vinnytsia Zirka Kirovohrad
2 SKA Odessa Trudovi Rezervy Luhansk Avanhard Zhovti Vody
Play-off Chornomorets Odessa SKA Odessa Lokomotyv Vinnytsia
1962 Trudovi Rezervy Luhansk Chornomorets Odessa Avanhard Simferopol
1963 1 Lokomotyv Vinnytsia SKA Lviv Zirka Kirovohrad
2 SKA Odessa Azovstal Zhdanov Torpedo Kharkiv
Play-off SKA Odessa Lokomotyv Vinnytsia Azovstal Zhdanov
1964 Lokomotyv Vinnytsia SKA Kyiv Polissya Zhytomyr
1965 SKA Lviv SKA Kyiv Avanhard Zhovti Vody
1966 1 Dynamo Khmelnytskyi Desna Chernihiv SCChF Sevastopol
2 Avanhard Zhovti Vody Lokomotyv Kherson Dnipro Kremenchuk
Play-off Avanhard Zhovti Vody Dynamo Khmelnytskyi Lokomotyv Kherson
1967 1 Avtomobilist Zhytomyr Dnipro Cherkasy Dnipro Kremenchuk
2 Khimik Severodonetsk Torpedo Kharkiv Shakhtar Kadievka
Play-off Avtomobilist Zhytomyr Khimik Severodonetsk Dnipro Kremenchuk
1968 1 Avanhard Ternopil Bukovyna Chernivtsi Dynamo Khmelnytskyi
2 Lokomotyv Donetsk Spartak Sumy Desna Chernihiv
Play-off Avanhard Ternopil Bukovyna Chernivtsi Shakhtar Kadiyevka
1969 1 Spartak Ivano-Frankivsk Prometey Dniprodzerzhynsk Karpaty Mukacheve
2 Spartak Sumy Shakhtar Horlivka Shakhtar Sverdlovsk
Play-off Spartak Ivano-Frankivsk Shakhtar Horlivka Spartak Sumy
1970 2nd A Metalurh Zaporizhia Tavriya Simferopol Avtomobilist Zhytomyr
B Khimik Severodonetsk Lokomotyv Vinnytsia Lokomotyv Donetsk
1971 Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih Sudnobudivelnyk Mykolaiv Avtomobilist Zhytomyr
1972 Spartak Ivano-Frankivsk Hoverla Uzhhorod Tavriya Simferopol
1973 Tavriya Simferopol Avtomobilist Zhytomyr Sudnobudivelnyk Mykolaiv
1974 Sudnobudivelnyk Mykolaiv Metalist Kharkiv Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih
1975 Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih Avtomobilist Zhytomyr SC Lutsk
1976 Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih Metalist Kharkiv SCA Odessa
1977 SCA Odessa SKA Kyiv Kolos Nikopol
1978 Metalist Kharkiv Kolos Nikopol SKA Kyiv
1979 Kolos Nikopol SKA Kyiv SKA Lviv
1980 SKA Kyiv Bukovyna Chernivtsi SKA Lviv
1981 Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih Nyva Vinnytsia Avanhard Rivne
1982 Bukovyna Chernivtsi Desna Chernihiv Kolos Pavlohrad
1983 SKA Kyiv Kolos Pavlohrad Nyva Vinnytsia
1984 Nyva Vinnytsia Kolos Pavlohrad Sudnobudivelnyk Mykolaiv
1985 Tavriya Simferopol Nyva Vinnytsia Sudnobudivelnyk Mykolaiv
1986 Zoria Voroshylovhrad Tavriya Simferopol SKA Kyiv
1987 Tavriya Simferopol Nyva Ternopil Prykarpattia Ivano-Frankivsk
1988 Bukovyna Chernivtsi Vorskla Poltava SKA Odessa
1989 Volyn Lutsk Bukovyna Chernivtsi Nyva Ternopil
1990 Torpedo Zaporizhia Sudnobudivelnyk Mykolaiv Avanhard Rivne
1991 Naftovyk Okhtyrka Prykarpattia Ivano-Frankivsk Kolos Nikopol

List of all champions

Performance by club

The table does not include city teams that competed in the cities' championship.

Club Winners Runners-up Third Place Winning Years
SKA Kyiv 4 5 4 1949, 1951, 1980, 1983
Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih 4 1 1971, 1975, 1976, 1981
Spartak Ivano-Frankivsk 3 2 2 1955, 1969, 1972
SKA Odessa 3 1 4 1957, 1963, 1977
Tavriya Simferopol 3 1 2 1973, 1985, 1987
Spartak Uzhhorod 3 1 1946, 1950, 1953
Metalurh Zaporizhia 3 1952, 1960, 1970
Zorya Luhansk 3 1938, 1962, 1986
Nyva Vinnytsia 2 3 3 1964, 1984
Bukovyna Chernivtsi 2 3 1982, 1988
Arsenal Kiev 2 1 1954, 1958
Avanhard Zhovti Vody 2 1 1959, 1966
Lokomotyv Zaporizhia 2 1939, 1940
Sudnobudivelnyk Mykolaiv 1 3 3 1974
Avtomobilist Zhytomyr 1 2 3 1967
Kolos Nikopol 1 2 2 1979
Metalist Kharkiv 1 2 1 1978
Chornomorets Odessa 1 2 1961
SKA Lviv 1 1 3 1965
Avanhard Kramatorsk 1 1 1 1936
Shakhtar Stakhanov 1 1 1956
Spartak Dnipropetrovsk 1 1937
Bilshovyk Mukacheve 1 1947
Torpedo Odessa 1 1948
Avanhard Ternopil 1 1968
Volyn Lutsk 1 1989
Torpedo Zaporizhia 1 1990
Naftovyk Okhtyrka 1 1991

Performance by city (Cities' championship)

The 1936 championship is not included.

Club Winners Runners-up Third Place Winning Years
Kharkiv 8 1 1 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1927, 1928, 1932, 1934
Kiev 1 2 1 1931
Dnipropetrovsk 1 1 1935

See also

References

    External links

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