1997 Russian Third League

Russian football league season November 2025 Russian Third League 1997 1996 The 1997 Russian Third League was the 4th and, so far, final time competition on the fourth level of Russian football was professional. In 1998 Russian Third League was disbanded and the Amateur Football League moved back to fourth level of the Russian football pyramid. All the 1997 Russian Third League teams that were not promoted to the Second Division moved to the Amateur Football League (unless otherwise noted below). There were 5 zones with 88 teams starting the competition (6 were excluded before the end of the season). Zone 1 Overview Team Head coach FC Lokomotiv Mineralnye Vody Aleksandr Babayan FC Mozdok Yuri Gazzaev FC Torpedo Georgiyevsk Yuri Kotov FC Anzhi-d Makhachkala FC Nart Nartkala Vladimir Kurashinov FC Iriston Vladikavkaz Ruslan Merdenov FC Nart Cherkessk Nurbiy Lakhov FC Dynamo-d Stavropol FC Alania-d Vladikavkaz PFC Spartak-d Nalchik FC Dynamo-Imamat Makhachkala Kosim Akchurin FC Olimp Kislovodsk Aleksandr Grosberg FC Beshtau Lermontov Valentin Lobachyov Standings main WDL 5 P LMV Lokomotiv Mineralnye Vody MOZ Mozdok TGE Torpedo Georgiyevsk ADM Anzhi-d Makhachkala NNA Nart Nartkala IVL Iriston Vladikavkaz NRT Nart Cherkessk DDS Dynamo-d Stavropol ADV Alania-d Vladikavkaz SDN Spartak-d Nalchik DIM Dynamo-Imamat Makhachkala OLK Olimp Kislovodsk BEL Beshtau Lermontov 33 11 4 112 40 A 29 8 11 105 46 A 28 9 11 85 36 A 29 5 14 114 58 27 6 15 109 74 A 25 9 14 98 63 A 21 7 20 83 80 A 15 14 19 69 76 12 7 29 66 119 A 11 10 27 65 99 12 6 30 67 131 A 11 7 30 54 116 7 5 36 50 139 A green1 Promotion to Second Division P P P P P P P P P complete RSSSF Notes. FC Alania-d Vladikavkaz were excluded from the league after playing 35 games and gaining 43 points. Opponents were awarded a 3–0 win in the remaining games. FC Iriston Vladikavkaz and FC Dynamo-Imamat Makhachkala were awarded 1 home win each. FC Torpedo Georgiyevsk played their first professional season. FC Anzhi-2 Kaspiysk renamed to FC Anzhi-d and moved to Makhachkala. They did not participate in national-level competitions in 1998. FC Dynamo-d Stavropol, PFC Spartak-d Nalchik and FC Olimp Kislovodsk did not participate in national-level competitions in 1998. FC Alania-d Vladikavkaz last played professionally in 1995 as FC Spartak-Alania-d Vladikavkaz. Top goalscorers 35 goals Budun Budunov (FC Anzhi-d Makhachkala) 30 goals Kyamran Nurakhmedov (FC Dynamo-Imamat Makhachkala) 28 goals Alisher Gippot (FC Torpedo Georgiyevsk) 26 goals Aslan Maremukov (FC Nart Nartkala) 25 goals Nikolai Tkachenko (FC Lokomotiv Mineralnye Vody) 24 goals Eduard Khachaturyan (FC Mozdok) 22 goals Mikhail Pavlov (FC Lokomotiv Mineralnye Vody) Georgia 1990 Aleksandr Zaalishvili (FC Nart Nartkala) 21 goals Gadzhi Bamatov (FC Anzhi-d Makhachkala) Iosif Khuazhev (FC Mozdok) Zone 2 Overview Team Head coach FC Kuban Slavyansk-na-Kubani Nikolai Smirnov FC Rassvet Troitskoye Sergei Lushchin FC Rostselmash-d Rostov-on-Don FC Spartak-Bratskiy Yuzhny Sergei Antonkin FC Niva Slavyansk-na-Kubani Oleg Ivanov FC Shakhtyor Shakhty Yuri Shikunov FC Volgodonsk Nikolai Zlobin FC Metallurg Krasny Sulin Viktor Shchirov FC Rotor-d Volgograd FC Salyut Saratov Vladimir Khoroltsev FC Kuban-d Krasnodar Igor Kaleshin FC Rotor-2 Mikhaylovka Sergei Andreyev FC Lokomotiv Yelets Yuri Raznov FC Zhemchuzhina-d Sochi Anatoli Lyz FC Energiya-d Kamyshin Oleg Sizov FC Fakel-d Voronezh Yuri Litvinov Standings main WDL 5 P KSK Kuban Slavyansk-na-Kubani RTR Rassvet Troitskoye ROD Rostselmash-d Rostov-on-Don SBY Spartak-Bratskiy Yuzhny NSK Niva Slavyansk-na-Kubani SHS Shakhtyor Shakhty VOL Volgodonsk MKS Metallurg Krasny Sulin RDV Rotor-d Volgograd SAS Salyut Saratov KDK Kuban-d Krasnodar R2M Rotor-2 Mikhaylovka LYE Lokomotiv Yelets ZDS Zhemchuzhina-d Sochi EDK Energiya-d Kamyshin FDV Fakel-d Voronezh 20 4 6 63 30 A 17 7 6 56 30 16 9 5 52 18 A 17 5 8 62 36 16 5 9 58 35 14 6 10 40 27 A 12 8 10 40 33 11 10 9 38 36 12 6 12 44 43 A 10 10 10 43 36 A 11 5 14 28 40 9 9 12 37 33 11 1 16 32 50 9 6 15 38 55 A 2 3 23 13 79 1 4 23 15 78 green1 Promotion to Second Division P P P P P P complete RSSSF Notes. FC Lokomotiv Yelets were excluded from the league after playing 15 games and gaining 34 points. Opponents were awarded a 3–0 win in the remaining games. FC Energiya-d Kamyshin were excluded from the league after playing 15 games and gaining 9 points. Opponents were awarded a 3–0 win in the remaining games. FC Fakel-d Voronezh was excluded from the league after playing 17 games and gaining 7 points. Opponents were awarded a 3–0 win in the remaining games. FC Rassvet Troitskoye promoted from the Amateur Football League. They did not participate in the national-level competitions in 1998. FC Spartak-Bratskiy Yuzhny, FC Niva Slavyansk-na-Kubani, FC Volgodonsk and FC Kuban-d Krasnodar did not participate in the national-level competitions in 1998. FC Dynamo Mikhailovka renamed to FC Rotor-2. FC Energiya-d Kamyshin last played professionally in 1992 as FC Tekstilshchik-d Kamyshin. They did not participate in the national-level competitions in 1998. FC Fakel-d Voronezh played their first professional season. They did not participate in the national-level competitions in 1998. Top goalscorers 16 goals Murat Gomleshko (FC Niva Slavyansk-na-Kubani) Viktor Ledovskikh (FC Spartak-Bratskiy Yuzhny) Denis Popov (FC Kuban Slavyansk-na-Kubani) 15 goals Gennadi Remezov (FC Rassvet Troitskoye) 11 goals Aleksandr Bocharnikov (FC Kuban Slavyansk-na-Kubani) Sergei Glazunov (FC Salyut Saratov) Valeri Prokulatov (FC Volgodonsk) 10 goals Sergei Afanasyev (FC Metallurg Krasny Sulin) Roman Oreshchuk (FC Rostselmash-d Rostov-on-Don) Sergei Pogarchenko (FC Shakhtyor Shakhty) Zone 3 Overview Team Head coach FC Dynamo-d Moscow Aleksei Petrushin FC Khimki Vladimir Shtapov FC Torpedo-ZIL Moscow Sergei Petrenko FC Kosmos Dolgoprudny Aleksandr Logunov FC Roda Moscow Vladimir Opochinskiy FC Spartak-d Moscow Sergey Rodionov FC Titan Reutov Aleksei Belenkov PFC CSKA-d Moscow Sergei Berezin FC Sportakademklub Moscow Aleksandr Yefremov FC Kolomna Viktor Korneyev FC Spartak Lukhovitsy Sergei Bondar FC Monolit Moscow Yuri Vereykin FC Torgmash Lyubertsy Anatoli Leshchenkov FC Krasnogvardeyets Moscow Aleksandr Rakov FC Asmaral Moscow Vladimir Mikhaylov FC Torpedo-Luzhniki-d Moscow FC Lokomotiv-d Moscow Nikolai Khudiyev FC Fabus Bronnitsy Vladimir Sautin FC MEPhI Moscow Rinat Bilyaletdinov FC Dynamo-2 Moscow Aleksandr Maksimenkov FC Chertanovo Moscow Viktor Borovikov Standings main WDL 5 P DDM Dynamo-d Moscow KHI Khimki TZM Torpedo-ZIL Moscow KOD Kosmos Dolgoprudny RMO Roda Moscow SDM Spartak-d Moscow TIR Titan Reutov CDM CSKA-d Moscow SMO Sportakademklub Moscow KOL Kolomna SLU Spartak Lukhovitsy MMO Monolit Moscow TOL Torgmash Lyubertsy KMO Krasnogvardeyets Moscow AMO Asmaral Moscow TLM Torpedo-Luzhniki-d Moscow LDM Lokomotiv-d Moscow FBR Fabus Bronnitsy MIM MEPhI Moscow D2M Dynamo-2 Moscow CHM Chertanovo Moscow 31 4 5 84 24 A 26 6 8 80 38 A 23 8 9 77 29 A 21 8 11 63 41 A 23 7 10 83 49 -6 21 3 16 72 54 A 19 7 14 57 52 A 17 12 11 66 53 A 17 8 15 58 47 A 15 12 13 49 40 A 17 5 18 59 53 A 15 8 17 57 70 A 13 9 18 42 61 A 13 8 19 43 61 14 3 23 50 77 A 13 6 21 56 58 A 12 7 21 52 73 A 10 13 17 52 57 A 11 9 20 40 53 10 9 21 50 83 1 4 35 18 135 green1 Promotion to Second Division P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P complete RSSSF Notes. FC Roda Moscow deducted 6 points. FC Khimki and FC Spartak Lukhovitsy promoted from the Amateur Football League. FC Torpedo-ZIL Moscow played their first professional season. FC Roda Moscow and FC Chertanovo Moscow did not participate in the national-level competitions in 1998. FC Mashinostroitel Sergiyev Posad moved to Moscow and renamed to FC Sportakademklub. FC Avangard-Kortek Kolomna renamed to FC Kolomna. FC MEPhI Moscow promoted from the Amateur Football League, where it played in 1996 as FSh MEPhI. They did not participate in the national-level competitions in 1998. FC Dynamo-2 Moscow did not participate in the national-level competitions in 1998 (FC Dynamo-d Moscow was renamed to FC Dynamo-2 in 1998). Top goalscorers 21 goals Sergei Kulichenko (PFC CSKA-d Moscow) 20 goals Viktor Voronkov (FC Roda Moscow) 19 goals Sergei Lutovinov (FC Spartak-d Moscow) 17 goals Sabir Khamzin (FC Sportakademklub Moscow) Sergei Kravchuk (FC Khimki) Sergei Lavrentyev (FC Torpedo-ZIL Moscow) 16 goals Sergei Artyomov (FC Dynamo-d Moscow) Gleb Panfyorov (FC Torpedo-ZIL Moscow) Aleksei Snigiryov (FC Lokomotiv-d Moscow/FC Torpedo-ZIL Moscow) 15 goals Cameroon Guy-Martin Ngaha Tchamoah (FC Roda Moscow) Aleksandr Rogachyov (FC Kolomna) Vadim Shatalin (FC Khimki) Zone 4 Overview Team Head coach FC Metallurg Vyksa Mikhail Beketov FC Energetik Uren Viktor Pavlyukov FC Torpedo Vladimir Yevgeni Skomorokhov FC Torpedo-Viktoriya Nizhny Novgorod Aleksandr Platonychev FC Spartak Bryansk Viktor Ozhoga FC Stroitel Morshansk Vyacheslav Vlasov FC Luch Tula Yuri Cheryevskiy FC Lokomotiv Kaluga Aleksandr Sakharov FC Energiya Velikiye Luki Vladimir Gogin FC Volochanin Vyshny Volochyok Viktor Demidov FC Zenit-d Saint Petersburg FC Mashinostroitel Pskov Sergei Markelov FC Dynamo Bryansk Viktor Zimin FC Neftyanik Yaroslavl Valentin Volkov FC Spartak Kostroma Valeri Volchanovskiy FC Lokomotiv-d Saint Petersburg FC Lokomotiv-d Nizhny Novgorod FC Khimik Dzerzhinsk Andrei Sergeyev FC Industriya Borovsk Yuri Karamyan FC Spartak Rybnoye Standings main WDL 5 P MEV Metallurg Vyksa EUR Energetik Uren TVL Torpedo Vladimir TVNN Torpedo-Viktoriya Nizhny Novgorod SBR Spartak Bryansk SMO Stroitel Morshansk LTU Luch Tula LKA Lokomotiv Kaluga EVL Energiya Velikiye Luki VVV Volochanin Vyshny Volochyok ZSP Zenit-d St. Petersburg MAP Mashinostroitel Pskov DYB Dynamo Bryansk NEY Neftyanik Yaroslavl SPK Spartak Kostroma LSP Lokomotiv-d St. Petersburg LNN Lokomotiv-d Nizhny Novgorod KHD Khimik Dzerzhinsk IBO Industriya Borovsk 24 7 5 54 20 23 7 6 70 35 A 21 10 5 60 27 A 21 7 8 62 18 A 17 10 9 54 38 A 19 2 15 53 42 A 17 7 12 41 37 A 16 6 14 56 47 A 13 14 9 43 36 A 14 8 14 33 40 A 12 13 11 49 32 A 13 7 16 28 40 13 7 16 38 42 A 12 8 16 41 46 A 10 8 18 30 48 A 8 7 21 28 57 6 6 24 24 61 4 8 24 18 64 A 4 8 24 21 73 green1 Promotion to Second Division P P P P P P P P P P P P P P complete RSSSF Notes. FC Spartak Rybnoye were excluded from the league after playing 18 games and gaining 14 points. All their results were discarded. That was their first professional season. They did not participate in the national-level competitions in 1998. FC Industriya Borovsk were excluded from the league after playing 19 games and gaining 20 points. Opponents were awarded 3-0 wins in the remaining games. They did not participate in the national-level competitions in 1998. FC Khimik Dzerzhinsk awarded one home loss. FC Torpedo-Viktoriya Nizhny Novgorod played their first professional season. FC Lokomotiv Kaluga promoted from the Amateur Football League, where they played in 1996 as FC Smena-PRMZ Kaluga. FC Energiya Velikiye Luki promoted from the Amateur Football League. FC Lokomotiv-d Saint Petersburg and FC Lokomotiv-d Nizhny Novgorod did not participate in the national-level competitions in 1998. Top goalscorers 18 goals Nikolai Sidorov (FC Lokomotiv Kaluga) 17 goals Valeri Korneyev (FC Spartak Bryansk) 14 goals Andrei Alenichev (FC Energiya Velikiye Luki) Dmitri Golubev (FC Metallurg Vyksa) 13 goals Yevgeni Losev (FC Lokomotiv Kaluga) Dmitri Pozhidayev (FC Energetik Uren) 12 goals Anatoli Lychagov (FC Energetik Uren) Nail Safayev (FC Torpedo Vladimir) Valeri Vasilyev (FC Stroitel Morshansk) 11 goals Aleksandr Gultyayev (FC Mashinostroitel Pskov) Vladislav Khakhalev (FC Torpedo Vladimir) Zone 5 Overview Team Head coach FC Zenit Penza Aleksandr Komissarov FC Dynamo Perm Viktor Arkhapchev FC Zenit Chelyabinsk Oleg Kudelin FC Metiznik Magnitogorsk Aleksandr Kukushkin FC Neftyanik Pokhvistnevo Yevgeni Sarychev (until July)Ishtvan Sekech (from July) FC Uralets Nizhny Tagil Anatoli Garenskikh FC Biokhimik-Mordovia Saransk Igor Shinkarenko FC Energiya Ulyanovsk Mikhail Fursenko FC Gazovik Orenburg Valeri Bogdanov FC Trubnik Kamensk-Uralsky Vasili Petrovich FC Iskra Engels Anatoli Surovtsev FC Progress Zelenodolsk Aleksandr Klobukov FC Druzhba Yoshkar-Ola Igor Pochuyenkov] FC Neftyanik Bugulma German Bobek FC Elektron Vyatskiye Polyany Yuri Osin FC Gornyak Kachkanar Viktor Stavrov FC Volga Balakovo Aleksandr Krokhin FC KAMAZ-Chally-d Naberezhnye Chelny Standings main WDL 5 P ZEP Zenit Penza DYP Dynamo Perm ZCH Zenit Chelyabinsk NEN Metiznik Magnitogorsk NEP Neftyanik Pokhvistnevo UNT Uralets Nizhny Tagil BMS Biokhimik-Mordovia Saransk EUL Energiya Ulyanovsk GAO Gazovik Orenburg TKU Trubnik Kamensk-Uralsky IEN Iskra Engels PRZ Progress Zelenodolsk DYO Druzhba Yoshkar-Ola NBU Neftyanik Bugulma EVP Elektron Vyatskiye Polyany GOK Gornyak Kachkanar VOB Volga Balakovo KCNC KAMAZ-Chally-d Naberezhnye Chelny 21 8 5 62 27 A 20 6 8 55 32 A 19 9 6 55 27 A 18 7 9 65 44 17 8 9 59 32 A 17 8 9 41 27 A 16 11 7 47 28 A 18 3 13 50 42 A 16 9 9 48 33 A 15 8 11 53 43 A 14 9 11 41 39 A 11 9 14 46 56 A 10 7 17 42 50 A 8 9 17 35 54 7 7 20 33 62 5 8 21 33 65 5 5 24 32 73 A 1 5 28 24 87 green1 Promotion to Second Division P P P P P P P P P P P P P complete RSSSF Notes. FC Zenit Chelyabinsk and FC Energiya Ulyanovsk promoted from the Amateur Football League. FC Metiznik Magnitogorsk, FC Elektron Vyatskiye Polyany, and FC KAMAZ-Chally-d Naberezhnye Chelny did not participate in the national-level competitions in 1998. Top goalscorers 23 goals Vyacheslav Ulitin (FC Zenit Penza) 21 goals Vyacheslav Khovanskiy (FC Trubnik Kamensk-Uralsky) 19 goals Andrei Eskov (FC Iskra Engels) 17 goals Pavel Yumatov (FC Neftyanik Pokhvistnevo) 16 goals Aleksandr Fedoseyev (FC Zenit Penza) 15 goals Sergei Sviridkin (FC Gazovik Orenburg) 14 goals Aleksandr Fyodorov (FC Progress Zelenodolsk) Aleksandr Nikulin (FC Neftyanik Pokhvistnevo) Yuri Petrov (FC Dynamo Perm) 13 goals Igor Shiropatin (FC Uralets Nizhny Tagil) See also 1997 Russian Top League 1997 Russian First League 1997 Russian Second League 4 1997 Russia Russia