Soviet Union football league system
Soviet Union football league system has changed a lot since introduction of national league competitions in 1936.
1990
| Level | League(s)/Division(s) | P/R | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Supreme League Vysshaya Liga 13-16 teams |  0-1 | |||||||||
| 2 | First League Pervaya Liga 20-22 teams |  3 1 | |||||||||
| 3 | Second League Vtoraya Liga | ||||||||||
| West | Center | East | |||||||||
| 4 | Lower Second League Nisshaya Vtoraya Liga | ||||||||||
| Zone 1 | Zone 2 | Zone 3 | Zone 4 | Zone 5 | Zone 6 | Zone 7 | Zone 8 | Zone 9 | Zone 10 | ||
1971-1990
| Level | League(s)/Division(s) | P/R | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Supreme League Vysshaya Liga 16-18 teams | 2 | ||||||||
| 2 | Soviet First League Pervaya Liga 22 teams | 2 3 | ||||||||
| 3 | Second League Vtoraya Liga | 3 | ||||||||
| Zone 1 | Zone 2 | Zone 3 | Zone 4 | Zone 5 | Zone 6 | Zone 7 (1972-73, 1980-90) | Zone 8 (1980-90) | Zone 9 (1980-90) | ||
1970
| Level | League(s)/Division(s) | P/R | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Supreme Group A Vysshaya Gruppa A 16-18 teams | 2 | |||||||
| 2 | First Group A Pervaya Grouppa A 22 teams | 2 3 | |||||||
| 3 | Second Group A Vtoraya Gruppa A | 3 | |||||||
| Zone 1 | Zone 2 | Zone 3 | |||||||
| 4 | Class B Klass B | 3 | |||||||
| Zone 1 (Russia) | Zone 2 (Russia) | Zone 3 (Russia) | Zone 4 (Russia) | Zone 5 (Ukraine) | Zone 6 (Ukraine) | Zone 7 (Kazakhstan) | Zone 8 (Middle Asia) | ||
1963-1969
| Level | League(s)/Division(s) | P/R | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | First Group A Pervaya Gruppa A 16-18 teams | 2 | ||||||||||
| 2 | Second Group A Vtoraya Grouppa A | 2 3 | ||||||||||
| Subgroup 1 | Subgroup 2 | Subgroup 3 | Subgroup 4 | |||||||||
| 3 | Class B Klass B | 3 | ||||||||||
| Russian SFSR | Ukrainian SSR | Union republics | ||||||||||
| Zone 1 | Zone 2 | Zone 3 | Zone 4 | Zone 5 | Zone 6 | Zone 1 | Zone 2 | Zone 3 | Zone 1 | Zone 2 | ||
1960-1962
| Level | League(s)/Division(s) | P/R | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Class A Klass A 16-18 teams | 2 | ||||
| 2 | Class B Klass B | 2 3 | ||||
| Zone 1 (Russia) | Zone 2 (Russia) | Zone 3 (Russia) | Zone 4 (Russia) | Zone 5 (Russia) | ||
| Zone 1 (Union republics) | Zone 2 (Union republics) | Zone 1 (Ukraine) | Zone 2 (Ukraine) | Zone 6 (Russia) (Zone 3 Ukraine) 1961 (1962) | ||
1953-1959
| Level | League(s)/Division(s) | P/R | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Class A Klass A 12-13 teams | 2 | ||||||
| 2 | Class B Klass B | 2 3 | ||||||
| Zone 1 | Zone 2 | Zone 3 (1953-54, 1957-59) | Zone 4 (1957-59) | Zone 5 (1958-59) | Zone 6 (1958-59) | Zone 7 (1959) | ||
1950-1952
| Level | League(s)/Division(s) | P/R |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Class A Klass A 15-19 teams | 2 |
| 2 | Class B Klass B 14-18 teams | 2 3 |
1947-1949
| Level | League(s)/Division(s) | P/R | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | First Group Pervaya Gruppa 13-18 teams | 2 | |||||
| 2 | Second Group Vtoraya Gruppa | 2 3 | |||||
| Zone 1 (Russia) | Zone 2 (Russia) | Trans-Caucasus Zone 3 (Russia) (1949) | Middle-Asia Zone 4 (Russia) (1949) | Central Zone | Ukraine | ||
1945-1946
| Level | League(s)/Division(s) | P/R | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | First Group Pervaya Gruppa 12 teams | 2 | ||||||
| 2 | Second Group Vtoraya Gruppa 18 teams (1945) | 2 3 | ||||||
| Southern subgroup 13 teams (1946) | Eastern Subgroup 13 teams (1946) | |||||||
| 3 | Third Group Tretia Gruppa (1946) | 2 3 | ||||||
| North-Caucasus Zone (Russia) | Center Zone (Russia) | Low-Volga Zone (Russia) | Volga Zone (Russia) | Ural Zone (Russia) | Sibir Zone (Russia) | Far-eastern Zone (Russia) | ||
| Western Zone | Trans-Caucasus Zone | Middle Asia Zone | Center Zone (Ukraine) | East Zone (Ukraine) | South Zone (Ukraine) | West Zone (Ukraine) | ||
1936-1941
Initially, for the Spring championship of 1936 there were only seven teams participating in the top group, while for the Fall championship amount of participants was increased to eight. A similar case scenario took place in the second group as for the spring championship saw some withdrawals. In the third group the number of participants was unchanged at eight for both parts of 1936 season. At same time in the fourth group initially there were five teams for the spring half and six for the autumn.
In 1937 the number of participants continue to grow. Some reshuffling took place between groups A and B, although initially both consisted of eight teams. Groups V and G increased their team pools to 10 and 12 participants, respectively. Also for the 1937 there was introduced the Group D with two subgroups.
In 1938 all of groups were merged into one big super league of 26 teams.
In 1939 and 1940 season Group A consisted of 14 teams. There also was a revival of Group B with 23 teams at first and then reduced to 14 as well.
In 1941 season there was only Group A championship which was heavily adjusted to 15 teams.
| Level | League(s)/Division(s) | P/R | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Group A Gruppa A 7-26 teams | ||
| 2 | Group B Gruppa B 7-23 teams (1936-37, 1939-40) | | |
| 3 | Group V Gruppa V 8-10 teams (1936-37) | ||
| 4 | Group G Gruppa G 5-12 teams (1936-37) | ||
| 5 | Group D Gruppa D 11 teams (1937) | Group D (Cities of the East) Gruppa D (Goroda Vostoka) 9 teams (1937) | |
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