The League was established in 1936, but was discontinued after the 1937 season for over 15 (!) years. The experimental edition of the League was introduced in 1946. But the consistent League takes its roots from 1963. Prior to 1990, the league was divided into multiple regional zones (as many as 9) and the top finishers of those zones would take part in an additional mini-tourney to determine which teams get promoted to the Soviet First League. In 1991, the regional zones became a part of Soviet Second League B, while the Soviet Second League was split into 3 major regional zones, West, Center, and East. The group winners of these zones would now qualify for the Soviet First League.
The most titles of the League won was two by 11 different teams out of various now independent republics. The last winners of the League were FC Karpaty Lviv, FC Asmaral Moscow, and FC Okean Nakhodka.
| Season |
Winner |
Runner-ups |
Notes |
| 1936 (spring) |
FC Dinamo Rostov/Don |
Stroiteli Baku
Dynamo Odessa |
|
| 1936 (autumn) |
Dinamo Kazan |
Spartak Kharkiv
Dynamo Dnipropetrovsk |
|
| 1937 |
Dynamo Odessa |
Lokomotyv Kyiv
Stakhanovets Donetsk |
|
| 1938-45 |
|
|
no competition due to various reasons |
| 1946 |
Spartak Uzhhorod
Dinamo Riga |
Krylya Sovetov Tbilisi
Zenit Kaliningrad |
five groups winners and runners-up of which qualified for the two final groups |
| 1947-62 |
|
|
disbanded, restored in 1963 |
| 1963 |
Volga Kalinin(Russia)
SCA Odessa(Ukraine)
Lokomotivi Tbilisi (other republics) |
Dinamo Kirov(Russia)
Lokomotyv Vinnytsia(Ukraine)
Dinamo Batumi(other republics) |
three zones |
| 1964 |
Rostselmash Rostov/Don(Russia)
Lokomotiv Vinnytsia(Ukraine)
Granitas Klapeida(other republics) |
Terek Grozny(Russia)
SKA Kyiv(Ukraine)
Vostok Ust-Kamenogorsk(other republics) |
three zones |
| 1965 |
Spartak Nalchik(Russia)
SKA Lviv(Ukraine)
Dinamo Kirovabad(other republics) |
Rubin Kazan(Russia)
SKA Kyiv(Ukraine)
Dinamo Baku(other republics) |
three zones |
| 1966 |
Lokomotiv Kaluga(Russia)
Avanhard Zhovti Vody(Ukraine)
Pamir Leninabad(Middle East)
Meshakhte Tkibuli(other republics) |
Spartak Orjonikidze(Russia)
Dynamo Khmelnytskyi(Ukraine)
Metallurg Chimkent(Middle East)
Polad Sumgait(other republics) |
four zones |
| 1967 |
Dinamo Makhachkala(Russia)
Avtomobilist Zhytomyr(Ukraine)
Zarafshon Nawoyi(Middle East)
Neman Hrodna(other republics) |
Volga Ulyanovsk(Russia)
Khimik Severodonetsk(Ukraine)
Sverdlovets Tashkent Oblast(Middle East)
Polad Sumgait(other republics) |
four zones |
| 1968 |
Mashuk Pyatigorsk(Russia)
Avanhard Ternopil(Ukraine)
Sverdlovets Tashkent Oblast(Middle East)
Enbek Djezkazghan(Kazakhstan) |
Kalinenets Sverdlovsk(Russia)
Bukovyna Chernivtsi(Ukraine)
Ak Altyn Andizhan Oblast(Middle East)
ADK Alma‑Ata(Kazakhstan) |
four zones |
| 1969 |
Druzhba Maykop(Russia)
Spartak Ivano-Frankivsk(Ukraine)
Tashavtomash Tashkent(Middle East)
Traktor Pavlodar(Kazakhstan)
Dila Gori(Kavkaz) |
Saturn Rybinsk(Russia)
Shakhtar Horlivka(Ukraine)
Samarkand(Middle East)
Tsementnik Semipalatinsk(Kazakhstan)
Guria Lanchkhuti(Kavkaz) |
five zones |
| 1970 |
Metalurh Zaporizhia
Shinnik Yaroslavl
Kuzbass Kemerevo |
Tavriya Simferopol
Avtomobilist Nalchik
Spartak Yoshkar‑Ola |
three zones |
| 1971 |
Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih |
Iskra Smolensk |
six groups |
| 1972 |
Spartak Ivano-Frankivsk |
Dinamo Riga |
seven groups |
| 1973 |
Uralmash Sverdlovsk |
Tavriya Simferopol
Kuban Krasnodar |
winners of seven groups play in final |
| 1974 |
Alga Frunze |
Rubin Kazan
Metalist Kharkiv |
six groups |
| 1975 |
Terek Grozny |
Dinamo Riga
Stroitel Asgabat |
six groups |
| 1976 |
Dinamo Leningrad |
Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih
Uralmash Sverdlovsk |
six groups |
| 1977 |
Kuban Krasnodar |
Zalgiris Vilnuis
SCA Odessa |
six groups |
| 1978 |
FC Zvezda Perm |
Spartak Nalchik
Metalist Kharkiv |
six groups |
| 1979 |
Iskra Smolensk
Kolos Nikopol
Dinamo Stavropol
Guria Lanchkhuti
Sugdiyona Jizzakh
SKA Khabarovsk |
Textilschik Ivanovo
SKA Kyiv
Rotor Volgograd
Lokomotivi Samtredia
Shakhrikhonchi Shakhrikhan
FC Shakhter |
six groups, no final, six winners |
| 1980 |
Spartak Kostroma
Traktor Pavlodar
CSKA Kyiv |
Rotor Volgograd
Dynamo Samarqand
Khimik Hrodna |
nine groups, three final groups |
| 1981 |
Daugava Riga
Dinamo Kirov
Rotor Volgograd |
Kotayk Abovyan
Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih
Textilschik Ivanovo |
nine groups, three final groups |
| 1982 |
Textilschik Ivanovo
Dnepr Mogilev
Kuzbass Kemerevo |
Spartak Orjonikidze
Dynamo Samarqand
Shakhter |
nine groups, three final groups |
| 1983 |
Irtysh Omsk
Spartak Orjonikidze
Dinamo Batumi |
Metallurg Lipetsk
Znamya Truda Orekhovo-Zuevo
Krylya Sovetov Kuybyshev |
nine groups, three final groups |
| 1984 |
Krylya Sovetov Kuybyshev
Kotayk Abovyan
Dinamo Stavropol |
Nyva Vinnytsia
Geolog Tumen
Dynamo Samarqand |
nine groups, three final groups |
| 1985 |
Rostselmash Rostov/Don
Atlantas Klapeida
Iskra Smolensk |
Tavriya Simferopol
FC Zvezda Perm
Meliorator Chimkent |
nine groups, three final groups |
| 1986 |
Krylya Sovetov Kuybyshev
Geolog Tumen
Zoria Voroshilovgrad |
Kepez Kirovobad
Metallurg Lipetsk
Sokhibkor Khalkabad |
nine groups, three final groups |
| 1987 |
Tavriya Simferopol
FC Zvezda Perm
Kuban Krasnodar |
Iskra Smolensk
Meliorator Chimkent
Nistru Chisinau |
nine groups, three final groups |
| 1988 |
Nistru Chisinau
Torpedo Kutaisi
Fakel Voronezh |
Neftchi Fergona
Tsement Novorossiysk
Bukovyna Chernivtsi |
nine groups, three final groups |
| 1989 |
Lokomotiv Gorkiy
Textilschik Tiraspol
Dinamo Sukhumi |
Irtysh Omsk
Volyn Lutsk
Neftchi Fergona |
nine groups, three final groups |
| 1990 |
Bukovyna Chernivtsi
Uralmash Sverdlovsk
Neftchi Fergona |
Daugava Riga
Textilschik Kamyshyn
Novbakhor Namangan |
three groups |
| 1991 |
Karpaty Lviv
Asmaral Moscow
Okean Nakhodka |
Zorya Luhansk
Krylya Sovetov Samara
Kopetdag Asgabat |
three groups |
