1996 Russian Third League

The Russian Third League 1996 was the 3rd time competition on the fourth level of Russian football was professional. There were 6 zones with 102 teams starting the competition (6 were excluded before the end of the season).

Zone 1

Overview

Standings

Notes.

# FC Uralan-d Elista were excluded from the league after playing 18 games and gaining 23 points. Opponents were awarded a win in the remaining games. They did not play in any national-level competitions in 1997.
# FC Gofrokarton Digora were excluded from the league after playing 29 games and gaining 20 points. Opponents were awarded a win in the remaining games. They played their first professional season. They did not play in any national-level competitions in 1997.
# FC Gekris Anapa renamed to FC Spartak.
# FC Dynamo Makhachkala renamed to FC Dynamo-Imamat.
# FC Kuban-d Krasnodar and PFC Spartak-d Nalchik played their first professional season.
# FC Anzhi-2 Makhachkala moved to Kaspiysk.
# FC Iriston Mozdok renamed to FC Mozdok.
# FC Astrateks Astrakhan and FC Derbent did not play in any national-level competitions in 1997.
# FC Spartak-2 Nartkala renamed to FC Nart.
# FC Kabardey-ZET Nizhny Cherek promoted from the Amateur Football League. They did not play in any national-level competitions in 1997.
# FC Druzhba-d Maykop renamed to FC Kommunalnik-Druzhba-d Maykop. They did not play in any national-level competitions in 1997.

Top goalscorers

;23 goals
*Gennady Korkin (FC Spartak Anapa)

;21 goals
* Aleksandr Kamentsev (FC Venets Gulkevichi)

;20 goals

* Narvik Sirkhayev (FC Dynamo-Imamat Makhachkala)

;19 goals

* Sultan Chochuyev (FC Kabardey-ZET Nizhny Cherek)
* Timur Zakirov (FC Spartak Anapa)

;17 goals

* Andranik Babayan (FC Lokomotiv Mineralnye Vody)
* Aliyar Ismailov (FC Anzhi-2 Kaspiysk)

;16 goals

* Eduard Khachaturyan (FC Mozdok)
* Yuri Takliyev (FC Nart Cherkessk)

;15 goals

* Andrei Podgurskiy (FC Spartak Anapa)

Zone 2

Overview

Standings

Notes.

# FC Istochnik Rostov-on-Don were excluded from the league after playing 14 games and gaining 30 points. All their results were discarded. They did not play in any national-level competitions in 1997.
# FC Salyut-YuKOS Belgorod and FC Lokomotiv Yelets awarded 1 home win each.
# FC Salyut Belgorod renamed to FC Salyut-YuKOS.
# FC Dynamo-Zhemchuzhina-2 Sochi played their first professional season.
# FC Avangard-Kolos Taganrog and FC Chernomorets-d Novorossiysk played their first professional season. They did not play in any national-level competitions in 1997.
# FC Zvezda Gorodishche did not play in any national-level competitions in 1997.
# FC Izumrud Timashyovsk promoted from the Amateur Football League.
# FC Rostselmash-d Rostov-on-Don did not play professionally in 1995.

Top goalscorers

;32 goals

* Stanislav Dubrovin (FC Dynamo-Zhemchuzhina-2 Sochi)

;20 goals

* Aleksandr Bocharnikov (FC Kuban Slavyansk-na-Kubani)
* Igor Stasyuk (FC Izumrud Timashyovsk)

;15 goals

* Oleg Akulov (FC Zhemchuzhina-d Sochi)

;14 goals

* Yevgeni Kuzka (FC Lokomotiv Yelets)

;13 goals

* Sergei Borodin (FC Zvezda Gorodishche)
* Vladimir Grishchenko (FC Niva Slavyansk-na-Kubani / FC Chernomorets-d Novorossiysk)
* Manuk Kakosyan (FC Dynamo-Zhemchuzhina-2 Sochi)
* Sergei Sedov (FC Avangard-Kolos Taganrog)

;12 goals

* Andrei Fomichyov (FC Salyut-YuKOS Belgorod)
* Tatul Mkhitaryan (FC Dynamo Mikhaylovka)
* Andrei Pakhtusov (FC Niva Slavyansk-na-Kubani)
* Aleksandr Shtyn (FC Zhemchuzhina-d Sochi)
* Yuri Veretin (FC Lokomotiv Yelets)

Zone 3

Overview

Standings

Notes.

# FC TRASKO Moscow were excluded from the league after playing 18 games and gaining 7 points. All their results were discarded.
# FC Mashinostroitel Sergiyev Posad awarded 1 home win.
# FC Dynamo-d Moscow was not promoted as reserve teams were not eligible for promotion.
# FC Torpedo-d Moscow renamed to FC Torpedo-Luzhniki-d.
# FC Roda Moscow promoted from the Amateur Football League.
# FC Obninsk did not play professionally in 1995 and did not play in any national-level competitions in 1997.

Top goalscorers

;25 goals

* Sergei Artyomov (FC Dynamo-d Moscow)
* Sergei Bespalykh (FC Avangard-Kortek Kolomna)

;19 goals

* Igor Reutov (FC Avtomobilist Noginsk)

;18 goals

* Anatoli Balaluyev (FC Avtomobilist Noginsk)

;17 goals

* Aleksandr Samorodov (FC Mosenergo Moscow)

;16 goals

* Nikolai Klikin (FC Dynamo-2 Moscow)

;15 goals

* Aleksandr Kuptsov (FC Fabus Bronnitsy)

;14 goals

* Sergei Burtsev (FC Torgmash Lyubertsy)
* Andrei Dyomkin (FC Dynamo-d Moscow)
* Konstantin Kaynov (FC Fabus Bronnitsy)

Zone 4

Overview

Standings

Notes.

# FC Karelia-Erzi Petrozavodsk were excluded from the league after playing 24 games and gaining 24 points. Opponents were awarded a win in the remaining games. They did not play professionally in 1995 and did not play in any national-level competitions in 1997
# FC Trion-Volga Tver renamed to FC Volga.
# FC Lokomotiv-d St. Petersburg played their first professional season.
# FC Spartak Bryansk promoted from the Amateur Football League.
# FC Kristall Dyatkovo and FC Bulat Cherepovets did not play in any national-level competitions in 1997.

Top goalscorers

;18 goals

* Vladislav Khakhalev (FC Torpedo Vladimir)

;15 goals

* Ruslan Usikov (FC Dynamo Bryansk)

;14 goals

* Igor Aksyonov (FC Neftyanik Yaroslavl)
* Valeri Korneyev (FC Spartak Bryansk)

;13 goals

* Sergey Ulezlo (FC Volga Tver)

;11 goals

* Aleksei Barikov (FC Oryol)
* Pavel Sukhov (FC Orekhovo Orekhovo-Zuyevo)

;10 goals

* Igor Varakin (FC Orekhovo Orekhovo-Zuyevo)

;9 goals

* Stanislav Borisov (FC Oryol)

;8 goals

* Yevgeni Leonov (FC Karelia-Erzi Petrozavodsk)
* Andrei Syomin (FC Oryol)
* Konstantin Taptov (FC Spartak Bryansk)

Zone 5

Overview

Standings

Notes.

# FC Energetik Uren and FC Lokomotiv-d Nizhny Novgorod played their first professional season.
# FC Biokhimik-Mordovia Saransk promoted from the Amateur Football League where it played in 1995 as FC Biokhimik Saransk.
# FC Stroitel Morshansk and FC Iskra Engels promoted from the Amateur Football League.
# FC Kraneks Ivanovo did not play in any national-level competitions in 1997.

Top goalscorers

;25 goals

* Aleksandr Khalzov (FC Spartak Tambov)

;19 goals

* Sergei Pervushin (FC Spartak Tambov)

;15 goals

* Vladimir Nosov (FC Kristall Sergach)

;14 goals

* Dmitri Borisko (FC Volga Ulyanovsk)
* Andrei Eskov (FC Iskra Engels)

;12 goals

* Boris Goncharov (FC Spartak Tambov)
* Vladimir Kopylov (FC Druzhba Yoshkar-Ola)

;11 goals

* Aleksandr Fyodorov (FC Progress Zelenodolsk)

;10 goals

* Eduard Bazarov (FC Volga Balakovo)
* Sergei Glazunov (FC Salyut Saratov)
* Yuri Plyaskevich (FC Stroitel Morshansk)
* Vladimir Rokunov (FC Biokhimik-Mordovia Saransk)

Zone 6

Overview

Standings

Notes.

# FC Gornyak-Vanadiy Kachkanar renamed to FC Gornyak. Gornyak was excluded from the league after playing 12 games and gaining 22 points. Opponents were awarded a win in the remaining games.
# FC Dynamo Perm awarded 1 home win.
# FC Planeta Bugulma renamed to FC Neftyanik.
# FC Dynamo-Gazovik-d Tyumen, FC Gornyak Kushva and FC Uralmash-d Yekaterinburg did not play in any national-level competitions in 1997.

Top goalscorers

;13 goals

* Konstantin Ilyinykh (FC Dynamo Perm)

;12 goals

* Aleksei Alekseyev (FC Uralets Nizhny Tagil)
* Yuri Petrov (FC Dynamo Perm)

;11 goals

* Sergei Balandin (FC Metiznik Magnitogorsk)

;9 goals

* Sergei Afanasyev (FC Metiznik Magnitogorsk)
* Igor Degtyaryov (FC Gazovik Orenburg)
* Albert Gubaydulin (FC Sodovik Sterlitamak)
* Dmitri Zakharov (FC Gornyak Kachkanar)

;8 goals

* Vyacheslav Khovanskiy (FC Trubnik Kamensk-Uralsky)
* Yuri Panov (FC Sodovik Sterlitamak)
* Andrei Sviridov (FC Metiznik Magnitogorsk)
* Yuri Vetlugayev (FC Uralets Nizhny Tagil)

See also

*1996 Russian Top League
* 1996 Russian First League
* 1996 Russian Second League

{{Football in Russia

1996
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Russia
Russia