Pervaya League (Soviet Union)

Pervaya League Первая лига
abbreviation	PL
Association	Federazija futbola SSSR
First edition	May 22, 1936
hierarchy	1st League
Teams	22nd
master	Rotor Volgograd ( 1991 )
Record champions	Krylya Sovetov Kuibyshev (5)
↑ Vysschaya League (I) ↓ Wtoraja Liga (III)

The Pervaya League ( Russian Первая лига , German actually First League ) was the second highest division in Soviet football after the Wysschaja Liga . It was played from 1936 to 1991, when the Soviet Union was dissolved, for a total of 52 seasons.

The Pervaya League had its real name only since 1970, before that it was called, among others, Gruppa B , Gruppa 2 , Klass B , Klass A and Klass 2 . Until 1970, the league also consisted of several groups. The number of promoted and relegated teams, as well as the number of participating teams, often varied from season to season.

With 5 championships in the Pervaya League, Krylya Sovetov Kuibyshev (now Samara) was the record champion. With the 1991 season the game ended, the participating teams now switched to the respective national leagues of the successor states of the Soviet Union.