Soviet Top League was run since 1936 until 1991. Clubs from Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia have competed for the title. Clubs from Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan failed to earn promotion to Soviet Top League.

18 clubs have topped the League, 8 clubs represented Russia, 5 clubs – Ukraine, clubs from Georgia, Armenia, Belarus, Azerbaijan and Lithuania also have won Soviet Top League titles.

4 clubs can be called Soviet football elite: Dynamo (Kyiv, Ukraine), Spartak (Moscow, Russia), Dynamo (Moscow, Russia), CSKA (Moscow, Russia).

Dynamo (Kyiv, Ukraine)

Achievements

Soviet Top League winners: 1961, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1971, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1980, 1981, 1985, 1986, 1990 (13 times)
Soviet Top League runners-up: 1936, 1952, 1960, 1965, 1969, 1972, 1973, 1976, 1978, 1982, 1988 (11 times)

Нistory

Dynamo (Kyiv) is the most successful club in Soviet football history. Dynamo was founded in 1927 and has played only in the top leagues. Additionally to Soviet Top League titles it has won UEFA Super Cup, 2 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cups, 9 USSR Cups, 3 USSR Super Cups.

In many ways Dynamo was a cutting-edge Soviet club, Dynamo hosted the opening match of The Soviet Top League championship in 1936, however, Dynamo failed to win the Soviet Top League until 1961, even though Dynamo was the first club based outside Moscow to clinch the title.

Late 60s and 70s was a brilliant time for Dynamo. The club gained three consecutive wins of Soviet Top League (1966 – 1968), a few Dynamo stars were voted best USSR players, Olekh Blokhin became the top goal scorer in two consecutive seasons.

In 1973 33-year old Valeriy Lobanovsky was introduced as a new coach and the “Lobanovsky era” baegan. Lobanovsky’s team won UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup, UEFA Super Cup, as well as a number of domestic cups and titles. Oleh Blokhin won the Golden Ball in 1975. Dynamo’s success grabbed attention to Lobanovsky’s methodology. In 1983 Lobanovsky became a head coach of USSR national football team.

Dynamo’s Soviet Top League history is a history of a battle between the Kyiv club and three Moscow squads, a battle, which Dynamo, holding 13 national titles, ultimately won.

Soviet time legends

Yozhef Sabo is a Soviet player and coach of Hungarian origin. He played for Dynamo in 1959 – 1969, and also coached the team in 1993 – 1997, 2005 – 2005. He is currently Dynamo vice-president. Sabo also won 40 caps for the USSR squad.

Valeriy Lobanovsky is a brilliant Ukranian manager, best known for his work with Dynamo and USSR national side. Dynamo home ground is called in his name, a monument to Valery Lobanovsky is situated in front of the stadium. As a player Lobanovsky made 144 appearances for Dynamo and won 2 caps for the national squad.

Viktor Bannikov was a prominent Dynamo player, he also made 14 appearances for the national side. He is considered one of the best Soviet goalkeepers.

Oleh Blokhin is one of the best Soviet strikers. He played for Dynamo in 1969 – 1988, scoring 211 goals. He was named European Footballer of the Year in 1975. Blokhin won 112 caps for the USSR, scoring 42 goals. He is the best goalscorer of the Soviet Top League.

Volodymyr Bezsonov is a brilliant defender, he made 377 appearances for Dynamo in 1976-1990. Bezsonov also won 79 caps for the USSR.

Andriy Bal played for Dynamo in 1981–1990. At the 1982 FIFA World Cup he scored a memorable 20-meter against Brazil.

Spartak (Moscow, Russia)

Achievements

Soviet Top League winners: 1936, 1938, 1939, 1952, 1953, 1956, 1958, 1962, 1969, 1979, 1987, 1989 (12 times)
Soviet Top League runners-up: 1937, 1954, 1955, 1963, 1968, 1974, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1991 (12 times)

Нistory

Spartak was established in 1922 and was initially called MKS, Krasnaya Presnya, Pisheviki and Promkooperatzia. Spartak represented Soviet food industry and therefore got a nickname “meat”.

The name Spartak is called in the name of Spartacus, a gladiator-slave who led a rebellion against Rome, the name was proposed by Nikolai Starostin. The three Starostin brothers were prominent Spartak players in the 30s and 40s. The Starostin brothers were repressed by Lavrentiy Beria, head of Soviet secret police under Stalin. Beria was Dynamo (Moscow) patron, therefore severe competition between Spartak and Dynamo emerged. During the 50-s Spartak and Dynamo dominated Soviet Top League.

Spartak also won 10 USSR Cups and USSR Federation Cup.

Because of its popularity Spartak was called “the people’s team”.

Soviet time legends

Nikolai Starostin was a football and hockey player, he was one of the founders of Spartak football club. In the late 1930s many of Starostin’s friends and associates were arrested by Stalin’s secret police, Starostin himself was arrested in 1942. However, a few years later he was vindicated and in 1955 became Spartak president.

Igor Netto is one of the greatest Soviet players ever. He spent his whole career in Spartak, making 368 appearances and scoring 36 goals. Netto captained USSR side from 1954 to 1963, leading USSR to the gold medal in the 1956 Summer Olympics and victory at the European Championship in 1960. He also won 5 Soviet Top League titles and 3 Soviet Cups.

Nikita Simonyan is a prominent football player and manager, with Spartak he won Soviet Top League (4 times) and Soviet Cup (2 times). In 1949, 1950 and 1953 he was Soviet Top League top goalscorer. As a Spartak manager he won 2 Soviet Top League titles as well as 3 Soviet Cups.

Fyodor Cherenkov made 344 appearances for Spartak in Soviet Top League and also earned 34 caps for USSR. Due to his popularity he was called “people’s player”.

Rinat Dasayev is one of the best Soviet goalkeepers, in 1988 was awarded the World’s Best Goalkeeper of the Year title.

Evgeny Lovchev made 249 appearances for Spartak and won Soviet Football player of the Year in 1972.

Sergei Rodionov was a brilliant Spartak striker, he scored 119 goals for the club and became Soviet Top League top goalscorer in 1989.

Dynamo (Moscow, Russia)

Achievements

Soviet Top League winners: 1936, 1937, 1940, 1945, 1949, 1954, 1955, 1957, 1959, 1963, 1976 (11 times)
Soviet Top League runners-up: 1936, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1950, 1956, 1958, 1962, 1967, 1970, 1986 (11 times)

Нistory

Dynamo Moscow was founded as a factory team in 1887, in 1917 the club became an Interior Ministry club and gained its current name.

Dynamo won the first two Soviet Top League titles in 1936 and 1937 and also was the first Soviet club to tour the West in 1945. Dynamo earned a draw with Chelsea and Rangers, but won over Cardiff City and Arsenal.

In 1972 Dynamo won UEFA Cup Winners Cup, beating Scottish Rangers 3:2.

Soviet time legends

Lev Yashin is considered to be the greatest goalkeeper in the world football history. He was voted the best goalkeeper of the 20th century by the IFFHS. Yashin spent his entire career with Dynamo Moscow, from 1949 to 1971, winning 5 Soviet Top League titles and 3 USSR Cups. With USSR national team he won the 1956 Summer Olympics and the 1960 European Championship. From 1950 and 1953 Yashin was also Dynamo ice hockey team goalkeeper.

CSKA (Moscow, Russia)

Achievements

Soviet Top League winners: 1946, 1947, 1948, 1950, 1951, 1970, 1991 (7 times)
Soviet Top League runners-up: 1938, 1945, 1949, 1990 (4 times)

Нistory

CSKA was founded in 1911 as a football club of Skiing society. The club was called CSKA in 1960 and before that has changed 6 names, including impressive “Red Army Moscow”.

CSKA became a Soviet army club in 1928, all CSKA players had military ranks. Many talented conscripts were transferred to CSKA system from USSR army.

Soviet time legends

Yuri Nyrkov, major general, was a brilliant player of the late 40s CSKA. He started his football career in 1946, having fought in the World War II from 1941 to 1945. He won 3 caps for USSR national side.

Vsevolod Bobrov was one of the best Soviet strikers in the 40s. He is the only man, who captained both football and ice-hockey national teams on the Olympics. In football he was Soviet Top League top goalscorer in 1945 and 1947, in ice-hockey – Bobrov is the only player having scored 10 goals in one game.

Albert Shesternyov made 278 appearances for CSKA since 1959 until 1972, he also won 90 caps with USSR side. He was nominated for Ballon d’Or in 1968, 1969, 1970 and 1971.

Vladimir Kaplichny is a prominent CSKA and USSR national team captain. He won 62 caps with USSR team and made 288 appearances for CSKA.

Vladimir Fedotov is a son of a famous football and ice-hockey player. He spent his whole career in CSKA and won more caps for CSKA than any other player.