The Ukrainian football champions () are currently identified as the annual football competition of the Ukrainian Premier League which has been a top league football competition in the country since 2008.
The history of the title could be traced to 1921 in varying forms of competition as full-fledged nationwide competitions within the Ukrainian SSR (before it officially joined the Soviet Union).
Dynamo Kyiv has won a record 29 championship titles including 13 Soviet Union titles.
Historical outlook The first national (or rather republican) Ukrainian football championship took place in 1921, just before the official establishment of the Soviet Union. The competition was known as the football championship of cities. It has developed out of a similar tournament that previously took place in the Russian Empire (1912). The detailed information about football competitions in 1920s and early 1930s is scarce. Remarkable is the fact that the dominant team (or teams) of that period was from Kharkiv which until 1934 was the capital of the Soviet pseudo state, Ukrainian SSR. During that time the main cities of Ukraine were conducting own annual competitions among which were Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa, at the same time in the east Ukraine existed a separate regional competition of Donets basin (Donbas). Winners of those regional competitions qualified for the football championship of cities, hence the name of the tournament.
Football in the West Ukraine has developed as part of the Central European football competitions that later sprang out of the dissolution of Austria-Hungary. Interrupted by the World War I, later it was completely abolished after the Polish occupation of Ukraine at the end of Polish-Ukrainian War. After Polish occupation Ukrainian clubs of West Ukraine that at first were conducting own competitions eventually joined the Polish Football Association among which are Ukraina Lwow, USC Skala Stryi and several others.
In 1936 there was established the Soviet professional football competitions, while the Ukrainian football competitions were integrated within the Soviet competition as republican and declassed to lower tiers. At the same time about three to six of the best clubs from the Soviet Ukraine competed in the Soviet Top League with Dynamo Kyiv competing in it consistently since its establishment. At same time until 1950s the Ukrainian Cup (Cup of the Ukrainian SSR) involved participation of all Ukrainian clubs regardless in which league they competed.
In 1959 a big reform occurred in the Soviet football and champion of Ukrainian football competitions was identified at the Class B football competitions for Ukraine which at first was the second and later the third tier. The Ukrainian football champions of the Soviet Union were not only unknown outside of the Soviet Union, but were also barely recognized within the Union. Nonetheless, over the span of years the Ukrainian club football was very competitive. FC Dynamo Kyiv won the record number of the Soviet top league titles and was the best Soviet club at the European club competitions. In 1991 Soviet Top League there was equal number of Ukrainian and Russian clubs in the league.
Finally after securing its independence in 1992, Ukraine conducts own national league competitions which are recognized worldwide.
List of winners before club competitions
SeasonGroupChampionRunner-upThird place1921KharkivOdesa?1922KharkivOdesa?1923KharkivYuzivka?1924KharkivOdesaDonbas1927KharkivMykolaivOdesa1928KharkivHorlivkaMykolaiv1931KyivKharkiv?1932KharkivDonbasDnipropetrovsk1934KharkivKyiv1935DnipropetrovskKyivKharkiv
Football competitions among Soviet clubs and Soviet sports societies Best Ukrainian clubs in all-Union competitions List of the best Ukrainian clubs in the top Soviet competitionsTeams out of Ukraine in championships of the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union (Команди з України у чемпіонатах Російської імперії та СРСР). www.kopanyi-myach.info. † — Soviet tier 1 ‡ — Soviet tier 2 (no sign) — Soviet tier 3 SeasonBest2nd Best3rd Best1936 Dynamo KyivFC Dynamo DnipropetrovskFC Dynamo Kharkiv1936 Dynamo KyivFC Silmash KharkivSpartak Kharkiv1937Dynamo KyivFC Chornomorets OdesaFC Lokomotyv Kyiv / Stakhanovets1938Dynamo KyivDynamo OdesaStakhanovets Stalino1939Dynamo KyivStakhanovets StalinoDynamo Odesa1940Dynamo Kyiv Stakhanovets StalinoFC Dynamo Kharkiv1941-45 no competitions World War II1945Dynamo KyivStakhanovets StalinoPishchevik Odesa1946Dynamo KyivFC Lokomotyv KharkivPishchevik Odesa1947Dynamo KyivFC Lokomotyv KharkivShakhtar Stalino1948Dynamo KyivFC Lokomotyv KharkivStal Dnipropetrovsk1949Dynamo KyivFC Lokomotyv KharkivShakhtar Stalino1950Shakhtar StalinoDynamo KyivFC Lokomotyv Kharkiv1951Shakhtar StalinoDynamo KyivFC Lokomotyv Kharkiv1952Dynamo KyivShakhtar StalinoFC Lokomotyv Kharkiv1953Dynamo KyivFC Lokomotyv KharkivShakhtar Stalino1954Dynamo KyivFC Lokomotyv KharkivShakhtar Stalino1955Dynamo KyivShakhtar StalinoODO Kyiv1956Dynamo KyivShakhtar StalinoFC Metalurh Zaporizhia1957Dynamo KyivShakhtar StalinoSpartak Stanislav1958Dynamo KyivShakhtar StalinoSKVO OdesaSKCF SevastopolSKA Lviv1959Dynamo KyivShakhtar StalinoFC Nyva Vinnytsia1960Dynamo KyivAvangard KharkivShakhtar Stalino1961Dynamo KyivAvangard KharkivShakhtar Stalino1962Dynamo KyivFC Shakhtar DonetskAvangard Kharkiv1963Dynamo KyivFC Shakhtar DonetskAvangard Kharkiv1964FC Shakhtar DonetskDynamo KyivSKA Odesa1965Dynamo KyivFC Shakhtar DonetskFC Chornomorets Odesa1966Dynamo KyivFC Shakhtar DonetskFC Chornomorets Odesa1967Dynamo KyivFC Shakhtar DonetskFC Zorya Luhansk1968Dynamo KyivFC Chornomorets OdesaFC Zorya Luhansk1969Dynamo KyivFC Chornomorets OdesaFC Shakhtar Donetsk1970FC Zorya LuhanskDynamo KyivFC Shakhtar Donetsk1971Dynamo KyivFC Zorya LuhanskFC Karpaty Lviv1972FC Zorya LuhanskDynamo KyivFC Dnipro1973Dynamo KyivFC Shakhtar DonetskFC Zorya Luhansk1974Dynamo KyivFC Chornomorets OdesaFC Dnipro1975Dynamo KyivFC Shakhtar DonetskFC Karpaty Lviv1976 FC Karpaty LvivFC Shakhtar DonetskDynamo Kyiv1976 Dynamo KyivFC Karpaty LvivFC Chornomorets Odesa1977Dynamo KyivFC Shakhtar DonetskFC Chornomorets Odesa1978Dynamo KyivFC Shakhtar DonetskFC Chornomorets Odesa1979FC Shakhtar DonetskDynamo KyivFC Chornomorets Odesa1980Dynamo KyivFC Shakhtar DonetskFC Chornomorets Odesa1981Dynamo KyivFC Shakhtar DonetskFC Dnipro1982Dynamo KyivFC DniproFC Chornomorets Odesa1983FC DniproDynamo KyivFC Chornomorets Odesa1984FC DniproFC Chornomorets OdesaDynamo Kyiv1985Dynamo KyivFC DniproFC Metalist Kharkiv1986Dynamo KyivFC Shakhtar DonetskFC Dnipro1987FC DniproDynamo KyivFC Shakhtar Donetsk1988FC DniproDynamo KyivFC Shakhtar Donetsk1989FC DniproDynamo KyivFC Chornomorets Odesa1990Dynamo KyivFC DniproFC Shakhtar Donetsk1991FC Chornomorets OdesaDynamo KyivFC Dnipro
List of winners of Ukrainian republican football competitions
SeasonGroupChampionRunner-upThird place1936Ordzhonikidze Factory KramatorskStal DnipropetrovskUDKA Kyiv1937Spartak DnipropetrovskZenit StalineStalinets Kharkiv1938Dzerzhynets VoroshylovhradStal DniprodzerzhynskDynamo Mykolaiv1939Lokomotyv ZaporizhiaKharchovyk OdesaLokomotyv Kharkiv1940Lokomotyv ZaporizhiaStakhanovets OrdzhonikidzeAvanhard Kramatorsk1941-45 no competitions World War II1946Spartak UzhhorodDO KyivDzerzhynets Kharkiv1947Bilshovyk MukacheveAvanhard KramatorskLokomotyv Kyiv19481Torpedo OdesaDynamo UzhhorodDynamo Vinnytsia2Stal KostiantynivkaMilitary Unit 25750 (Kyiv)Stal DniprodzerzhynskPlay-offTorpedo OdesaStal KostiantynivkaDynamo Uzhhorod19491Metalurh DniprodzerzhynskMetalurh KostiantynivkaTraktor Kirovohrad2DO KyivSpartak StanislavLokomotyv TernopilPlay-offDO KyivMetalurh Dniprodzerzhynsk1950Spartak UzhhorodTrudovi Rezervy VoroshylovhradDO Kyiv1951DO KyivSKA LvivMashynobudivnyk Kyiv1952Metalurh ZaporizhiaChervonyi Prapor MykolaivIskra Mukacheve1953Spartak UzhhorodSpartak KhersonTorpedo Taganrog1954Mashynobudivnyk KyivSpartak StanislavBudivelnyk Mykolaiv1955Spartak StanislavSpartak KhersonTorpedo Kirovohrad1956Shakhtar StakhanovMashynobudivnyk KyivODO Odesa1957SKVO OdesaLokomotyv ArtemivskMashynobudivnyk Kyiv1958Arsenal KyivMetalurh NikopolNaftovyk Drohobych1959Avanhard Zhovti VodyTorpedo KharkivSKVO Odesa19601Sudnobudivnyk MykolaivLokomotyv VinnytsiaArsenal Kyiv2Metalurh ZaporizhiaSKA OdesaTrudovi Rezervy Luhansk19611Chornomorets OdesaLokomotyv VinnytsiaZirka Kirovohrad2SKA OdesaTrudovi Rezervy LuhanskAvanhard Zhovti Vody19621Chornomorets OdesaPolissya ZhytomyrLokomotyv Donetsk2SKA OdesaMetalurh ZaporizhiaSKA Kyiv3Trudovi Rezervy LuhanskAvanhard SimferopolLokomotyv Vinnytsia19631Lokomotyv VinnytsiaSKA LvivZirka Kirovohrad2SKA OdesaAzovstal ZhdanovTorpedo Kharkiv19641Polissya ZhytomyrSKA LvivVerkhovyna Uzhhorod2SKA KyivLokomotyv VinnytsiaZirka Kirovohrad3Tavriya SimferopolShakhtar KadievkaHirnyk Kryvyi Rih19651SKA KyivAvanhard Zhovti VodyKolos Poltava2SKA LvivAvanhard TernopilZirka Kirovohrad3Tavriya SimferopolShakhtar KadievkaKommunarets Kommunarsk19661Dynamo KhmelnytskyiDesna ChernihivSKCF Sevastopol2Avanhard Zhovti VodyLokomotyv KhersonDnipro Kremenchuk19671Avtomobilist ZhytomyrDnipro CherkasyDnipro Kremenchuk2Khimik SeverodonetskTorpedo KharkivShakhtar Kadievka19681Avanhard TernopilBukovyna ChernivtsiDynamo Khmelnytskyi2Lokomotyv DonetskSpartak SumyDesna Chernihiv19691Spartak Ivano-FrankivskPrometey DniprodzerzhynskKarpaty Mukacheve2Spartak SumyShakhtar HorlivkaShakhtar Sverdlovsk19702nd AMetalurh ZaporizhiaTavriya SimferopolAvtomobilist ZhytomyrBKhimik SeverodonetskLokomotyv VinnytsiaLokomotyv Donetsk1971Kryvbas Kryvyi RihSudnobudivnyk MykolaivAvtomobilist Zhytomyr1972Spartak Ivano-FrankivskHoverla UzhhorodTavriya Simferopol1973Tavriya SimferopolAvtomobilist ZhytomyrSudnobudivnyk Mykolaiv1974Sudnobudivnyk MykolaivMetalist KharkivKryvbas Kryvyi Rih1975Kryvbas Kryvyi RihAvtomobilist ZhytomyrSC Lutsk1976Kryvbas Kryvyi RihMetalist KharkivSKA Odesa1977SKA OdesaSKA KyivKolos Nikopol1978Metalist KharkivKolos NikopolSKA Kyiv1979Kolos NikopolSKA KyivSKA Lviv1980SKA KyivBukovyna ChernivtsiSKA Lviv1981Kryvbas Kryvyi RihNyva VinnytsiaAvanhard Rivne1982Bukovyna ChernivtsiDesna ChernihivKolos Pavlohrad1983SKA KyivKolos PavlohradNyva Vinnytsia1984Nyva VinnytsiaKolos PavlohradSudnobudivnyk Mykolaiv1985Tavriya SimferopolNyva VinnytsiaSudnobudivnyk Mykolaiv1986Zoria VoroshylovhradTavriya SimferopolSKA Kyiv1987Tavriya SimferopolNyva TernopilPrykarpattia Ivano-Frankivsk1988Bukovyna ChernivtsiVorskla PoltavaSKA Kyiv1989Two other teams were participating in another group: FC Karpaty Lviv and FC Desna Chernihiv. Karpaty placed third in that group.The first nine teams from each group were to form the three buffer groups as a medium between the First League and the Second League.Volyn LutskBukovyna ChernivtsiNyva Ternopil1990Torpedo ZaporizhiaSudnobudivnyk MykolaivAvanhard Rivne1991Naftovyk OkhtyrkaPrykarpattia Ivano-FrankivskKolos Nikopol
List of winners since the post-Soviet independence Vyshcha Liha