The Championship of the Belarusian SSR in football – First League (, Pershaja Liha chempijanatu BSSR pa futbole) was a top competition of association football in the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1922-91.
The first unofficial republican competition took place in 1922. Six years after (1928) as part of the Belarusian Spartakiade there took place the next unofficial football competitions of the republic. Since 1934 the competitions take place regularly on annual basis. Throughout its history there were 55 winners of the tournament. For some time there also existed second division of the competition.
In the system of leagues of the Soviet football, the Football Championship of the Belarusian SSR had a status as competitions of "collective of physical culture" (amateurs, the other status was "teams of masters").
Winners of the competition qualified for "super cup" format competition known as the Season's Cup and was played between a winner of the republican championship and a republican cup holder.
Unofficial competitions
SeasonChampionRunner-up3rd Position1922MinskBobruiskBorisov1923 no competitions1924MinskVitebskBorisovBobruisk1925 no competitions1926BobruiskOrshaMinskPolotsk1927 no competitions1928GomelPolotskMinskBobruisk1929 no competitions1930 no competitions1931 no competitions1932 no competitions1933Gomel no data
Republican competitions among sports societies (First League) The competitions were considered to be amateur. In Soviet Union officially all sports players were amateur athletes, however to differentiate level of teams, there were teams of sports societies and agencies (amateurs) and teams of masters (professionals).
At least since 1966 there were two all-republican divisions First League (Pershaja Liha) and Second League (Druhaja Liha).
In 1956, 1959 the competition was conducted among collective teams of regions (oblasts).History of Belaursian clubs. Lena-Dvorkina.narod.ru In 1957, 1958 the competition was conducted among collective teams of cities.
SeasonChampionRunner-up3rd Position1934Belarusian Military DistrictDinamo MinskTrade Union Minsk1935Belarusian Military DistrictDinamo MinskSpartak Minsk1936Belarusian Military DistrictVitebskBobruisk1937Dinamo MinskSpartak MinskTemp Minsk1938Dinamo MinskKIM VitebskSpartak Minsk1939Dinamo MinskDinamo VitebskSpartak Minsk1940DKA MinskVoskhod MinskDinamo Minsk ‡1941–1944 no competitions World War II1945Dinamo MinskDinamo BrestDinamo Grodno1946ODOKA Minsk ‡Dinamo-2 MinskSpartak Bobruisk1947Torpedo Minsk ‡Spartak BobruiskDinamo Minsk1948Traktor-MTZ MinskLokomotiv GomelSpartak Bobruisk1949Torpedo-MTZ MinskSpartak BobruiskDinamo Molodechno1950ODO Minsk ‡Torpedo-MTZ MinskSpartak Bobruisk1951Dinamo MinskODO Minsk ‡Spartak Minsk1952ODO MinskDinamo MinskSpartak Minsk ‡1953Spartak Minsk ‡Iskra SKIF MinskDinamo Pinsk1954ODO PinskZavod imeni Kirova VitebskODO Minsk1955FShM MinskZavod imeni Molotova MinskDinamo Volkovysk1956Minsk-1 Mogilev OblastGomel Oblast1957Energiya MinskBobruisk city teamDinamo Volkovysk1958Spartak BobruiskKrasnoye Znamye MinskGomel city team1959Minsk IGrodno OblastMolodechno Oblast1960Sputnik Minsk ‡Metallurg MogilevODO Pinsk1961DO Volna PinskSpartak MolodechnoSputnik Minsk ‡1962Torpedo Minsk ‡Spartak MolodechnoSputnik Minsk1963Spartak MolodechnoTorpedo MinskLokomotiv Brest1964SKA MinskGvardeets UruččaVolna Pinsk1965SKA MinskKhimik GrodnoNaroch Molodechno1966Torpedo MinskSputnik Minsk ‡SKA Minsk1967Torpedo MinskSputnik Minsk ‡Khimik Grodno1968Sputnik MinskTorpedo Minsk ‡Metallurg Mogilev1969Torpedo MinskImpuls BrestGvardeets Uruchie1970Torpedo ZhodinoSputnik Minsk ‡Stroitel Bobruisk1971Torpedo Zhodino ‡Stroitel BobruiskImpuls Brest1972Stroitel BobruiskTorpedo Zhodino ‡Torpedo Minsk1973Stroitel BobruiskSputnik MinskMotor Minsk1974BATE BorisovMotor MinskSKA Minsk1975Dinamo-2 MinskStroitel Bobruisk ‡Torpedo Zhodino1976BATE Borisov ‡Berezina BobruiskTorpedo Minsk1977Sputnik MinskDinamo-2 MinskBurevestnik Minsk1978Shinnik BobruiskBATE BorisovTemp Orsha1979BATE BorisovBurevestnik MinskTorpedo Mogilev1980Torpedo ZhodinoShinnik BobruiskBurevestnik Minsk ‡1981Torpedo Zhodino ‡Impuls BrestMetallist Molodechno1982Torpedo MogilevBurevestnik MinskTorpedo Zhodino ‡1983Obuvshchik LidaTorpedo Minsk ‡Orbita Minsk1984Orbita Minsk ‡Torpedo MogilevTraktor Minsk1985Obuvshchik LidaTorpedo ZhodinoTraktor Minsk1986Obuvshchik LidaShinnik BobruiskSputnik Minsk1987Shinnik BobruiskSputnik MinskObuvshchik Lida1988Sputnik MinskShakhter Soligorsk ‡Obuvshchik Lida1989Obuvshchik LidaSputnik Minsk ‡Shakhter Soligorsk1990Sputnik MinskShakhter SoligorskTorpedo Minsk1991Metallurg Molodechno ‡Torpedo MogilevSKB Vitebsk
‡ – winners of the Football Cup of the Belarusian SSR
Football Championship of the Belarusian SSR – Second League laureates SeasonGroupChampionRunner-up3rd Position1966 no data1967 no data1968 no data1969 no data1970 1Obuvshchik LidaMotor MinskTraktor Minsk 2Start OrshaTemp BaranTrud Gomel1971 1DOK GomelTrud GomelNeftianik Novopolotsk 2Pripiat MinskSKA MinskShakhter Soligorsk1972 1SKA MinskStankostroitelLokomotiv Osipovichi 2Obuvshchik LidaSelena MolodechnoMetallist Dzerzhinsk1973 1Selena MolodechnoOrbita MinskShakhter Soligorsk 2BATE BorisovDSK MinskTemp Baran1974–1988 no competitions / no data1989 1KIM VitebskTorpedo MogilevAlmaz Gomel 2Metallurg MolodechnoTraktor MinskOlimp Grodno1990 1Traktor BobruiskBerezina BorisovVedrich Rechitsa 2Veras GrodnoNeman MostyStankostroitel Smorhon1991 1Vedrich RechitsaKolos UstieShinnik Bobruisk 2Luch MinskKommunalnik PinskNiva Samokhvalovichi
Source
List of all champions Performance by club ClubWinnersRunners-upWinning seasonsNotesSKA Minsk811934, 1935, 1940, 1946, 1950, 1952, 1964, 1965Belarusian Military District, DKA Minsk, ODOKADinamo Minsk651937, 1938, 1939, 1945, 1951, 1975(including Dinamo-2 Minsk)Sputnik Minsk561960, 1968, 1977, 1988, 1990Torpedo Minsk531947, 1962, 1966, 1967, 1969Torpedo Zhodino421970, 1971, 1980, 1981Obuvshchik Lida401983, 1985, 1986, 1989BATE Borisov311974, 1976, 1979Minsk-1 city team301936, 1956, 1959Minsk city teamShinnik Bobruisk231978, 1987Berezina BobruiskStroitel Bobruisk221972, 1973MTZ Minsk211948, 1949Torpedo-MTZ Minsk, Traktor-MTZ MinskDO Volna Pinsk201954, 1961DO PinskSpartak Bobruisk121958Spartak Molodechno121963Torpedo Mogilev121982Spartak Minsk111953FShM Minsk101955Energiya Minsk101957Orbita Minsk101984Metallurg Molodechno101991Impuls Brest02Burevestnik Minsk02Shakhter Soligorsk02Vitebsk city team01KIM Vitebsk01Dinamo Vitebsk01Voskhod Minsk01Dinamo Brest01Dinamo-2 Minsk01Lokomotiv Gomel01Iskra SKIF Minsk01Zavod imeni Kirova Vitebsk01Zavod imeni Molotova Minsk01Mogilev Oblast team01Bobruisk city team01Krasnoje Znamje Minsk01Grodno Oblast team01Metallurg Mogilev01Gvardeets Uruchie01Khimik Grodno01Motor Minsk01
Qualification to All-Union competition Before the World War II, the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic was rarely represented at the Soviet competitions among teams of masters. There were Dinamo Minsk in 1937 (undetermined conditions), Spartak Minsk in 1939 (placed 3rd at republican competitions), and one more time Dinamo Minsk in 1940 (champion of the BSSR).
Following the war, Belarusian teams rejoined the all-Union competition in 1945 by the Belarusian Dinamo Minsk which continued to play among teams of masters until dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. In 1947 the competitions among teams of masters joined the 1946 Belarusian champion ODOKA Minsk that entered the 1947 Vtoraya Gruppa playing as DO Minsk (1947–1949).
In 1948 the all-Union competitions joined Spartak Minsk (1948–1949).
In 1950 took place reorganization of the Soviet football competitions and most Belarusian clubs were removed from competitions except for Dinamo.
In 1954 the all-Union competitions joined Pischevik Minsk (1954).
In 1957 the all-Union competitions joined Urozhai Minsk (1957–1960).
In 1960 the all-Union competitions joined Spartak (Lokomotiv) Gomel (1960–1991), Dvina (Krasnoje Znamja) Vitebsk (1960–1991), Spartak (Khimik) Mogilev (1960–1991), Dinamo (Spartak) Brest (1960–1991).
In 1961 the all-Union competitions joined Bobruisk (1961).
In 1962 the all-Union competitions joined SKA Minsk (1962–1963).
In 1964 the all-Union competitions joined Neman Grodno (1964–1991).
In 1963 Dvina, Spartak Mg, Spartak Br, SKA played in the Union republics Class B.
In 1964–1965 Dvina, Spartak Mg, Spartak Br, and Neman played in the Ukrainian Class B. In 1970 Spartak Br, Gomselmash and Neman played in Ukrainian competitions of Class A Second Group.
See also Belarusian Premier League Belarusian First League FC Dinamo Minsk
Notes
References
External links List of top runners. Kick-off.by (Peter A. Karnaugh). Lars Kubusch and Hans Schöggl. Belarus - Championships before Independence. RSSSF. Football championship of the BSSR (Чемпионат БССР). Footballfacts.ru.