The 1959 Soviet Football Championship, Class B () was the tenth season of the Soviet Class B football competitions since their establishment in 1950. It was also the nineteenth season of the Soviet second tier professional football competitions.
It involved participation of 101 "teams of masters" split in seven groups which were composed by regional principle to some extent. Compared with the previous season, the number of participants was increased by seven teams. The teams were distributed somewhat equally among the seven groups with three groups containing 15 teams and four groups - 14. The competition also included representation of all 15 union republics by at least one participant. In majority the season kicked off on April 18, 1959, with the Round 1 matches in five groups. Groups 5 and 7 started later.
Four out of seven groups were won by clubs from the Russian SFSR (Russian Federation), three others represented three other union republics. Initially all the winners were to qualify for the final tournament as in previous season, but it was scratched as it was decided to reorganize competitions. The 1960 Class A competitions (higher tier) were planned to be expanded from 12 to 22 teams (by 10 teams). Among the four Russian winners there was organized additional short single round-robin tournament to identify the ultimate Class B winner for the Russian SFSR.
Following this season, the Soviet Class B competitions were split based on regional principle in three main groups Russian SFSR, Ukrainian SSR and Union republics.
Teams Promoted to (14): Spartak Leningrad, Torpedo Vladimir, Trud Ryazan, Trud Tula, Spartak Nalchik, Arsenal Kiev, Avangard Zhitomir, Avangard Krivoi Rog, Avangard Ternopol, Shakhter Gorlovka, Lokomotiv Bendery, Lokomotiv Gomel, Lokomotiv Tbilisi, Tekstilschik Kirovobad
Relegated to (1): Admiralteyets Leningrad
First stage I Zone
Number of teams by republics Number Union republics Team(s)9FC Trud Voronezh, FC Dinamo Kirov, FC Iskra Kazan, FC Khimik Yaroslavl, FC Lokomotiv Saratov, FC Spartak Leningrad, FC Trudovye Rezervy Lipetsk, FC Torpedo Vladimir, FC Trud Ryazan5FC Avangard Nikolaev, FC Metallurg Dnepropetrovsk, FC Metallurg Zaporozhye, FC Spartak Kherson, FC Khimik Dneprodzerzhinsk1FC Lokomotiv Bendery
II Zone
Number of teams by republics Number Union republics Team(s)7FC Avangard Kharkov, FC Kolgospnik Cherkassy, FC Arsenal Kiev, FC Zirka Kirovograd, FC Avangard Zhitomir, FC Avangard Krivoi Rog, FC Kolgospnik Poltava6FC Trudovye Rezervy Leningrad, FC Trud Glukhovo, FC Shakhtyor Stalinogorsk, FC Znamya Truda Orekhovo-Zuyevo, FC Trudovye Rezervy Kursk, FC Trud Tula2FC Spartak Minsk, FC Lokomotiv Gomel
III Zone
Number of teams by republics Number Union republics Team(s)7FC Terek Grozny, FC Torpedo Taganrog, FC Kuban Krasnodar, FC Rostselmash Rostov-na-Donu, FC Spartak Stavropol, FC Spartak Nalchik, FC Temp Makhachkala3FC Torpedo Kutaisi, SKVO Tbilisi, FC Lokomotiv Tbilisi2FC Spartak Yerevan, FC Shirak Leninakan2FC Neftianik Baku, FC Tekstilschik Kirovobad
IV Zone
Number of teams by republics Number Union republics Team(s)10FC Lokomotiv Vinnitsa, SKVO Odessa, FC Chernomorets Odessa, SKVO Lvov, FC Spartak Uzhgorod, FC Kolgospnik Rovno, SKCF Sevastopol, FC Avangard Simferopol, FC Spartak Stanislav, FC Avangard Ternopol1FC Baltika Kaliningrad1FC Spartak Vilnius1FC Dinamo Tallinn1FC Daugava Riga1FC Urozhai Minsk
V Zone
Play-Off for 1st place [in Rostov-na-Donu] Admiralteyets Leningrad 4-1 Volga Kalinin
Number of teams by republics Number Union republics Team(s)10FC Admiralteyets Leningrad, FC Volga Kalinin, FC Zenit Izhevsk, FC Traktor Stalingrad, FC Torpedo Gorkiy, FC Raketa Gorkiy, FC Spartak Ulyanovsk, FC Tekstilschik Ivanovo, FC Energia Volzhskiy, FC Shakhter Shakhty4FC Trudoviye Rezervy Lugansk, FC Lokomotiv Stalino, FC Shakhter Kadievka, FC Shakhter Gorlovka
VI Zone
Number of teams by republics Number Union republics Team(s)6FC Mashinostroitel Sverdlovsk, FC Metallurg Magnitogorsk, FC Zvezda Perm, FC Metallurg Nizhniy Tagil, FC Lokomotiv Chelyabinsk, FC Stroitel Ufa2FC Pamir Leninabad, FC Khosilot Stalinabad2FC Pakhtakor Tashkent, FC Trudoviye Rezervy Tashkent2FC Kairat Alma-Ata, FC Shakhter Karaganda1FC Spartak Frunze1FC Kolkhozchi Ashkhabad
VII Zone [All teams are from Russian Federation]
Play-Off for 1st place [in Rostov-na-Donu] SKVO Sverdlovsk 4-1 Lokomotiv Krasnoyarsk
Promotion RSFSR One team was to be promoted so all four group winners contested it in short tournament. [for Russian Federation] [Nov 6–10, Grozny]
Other union republics Ukraine FC Avangard Kharkov was promoted ahead of a group winner Lokomotiv Vinnitsa. Belarus There was formed new team Belarus based on better players from all Class B teams. Estonia The new team Kalev Tallinn promoted ahead of Dinamo Tallinn. Latvia Daugava Riga gained direct promotion. Lithuania Spartak Vilnius gained direct promotion. Armenia Spartak Yerevan gained direct promotion. Azerbaijan Neftyanik Baku gained promotion as a better team of the 1959 Class B. Uzbekistan Pakhtakor Tashkent gained promotion as a better team of the 1959 Class B. Kazakhstan Kairat Alma-Ata gained promotion as a better team of the 1959 Class B.
See also Soviet First League
External links 1959 Soviet Championship and Cup 1959 season at rsssf.com