title: 1978 Soviet First League
text: # 1978 Soviet First League
  
  The 1978 Soviet First League was the eighth season of the Soviet First League and the 38th season of the Soviet second tier league competition.
  
  ## Final standings
  
  | Pos | Rep | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | 1 | RUS | Krylia Sovetov Kuibyshev | 38 | 21 | 14 | 3 | 59 | 25 | +34 | 56 | Promoted |
  | 2 | RUS | SKA Rostov-on-Don | 38 | 20 | 14 | 4 | 64 | 35 | +29 | 54 | Promoted |
  | 3 | BLR | Dinamo Minsk | 38 | 21 | 11 | 6 | 57 | 28 | +29 | 53 | Promoted |
  | 4 | UKR | Karpaty Lviv | 38 | 21 | 10 | 7 | 60 | 37 | +23 | 52 | |
  | 5 | RUS | Terek Grozny | 38 | 16 | 9 | 13 | 56 | 56 | 0 | 41 | |
  | 6 | RUS | Kuban Krasnodar | 38 | 16 | 9 | 13 | 51 | 46 | +5 | 41 | |
  | 7 | LTU | Žalgiris Vilnius | 38 | 11 | 19 | 8 | 38 | 37 | +1 | 41 | |
  | 8 | UKR | Tavriya Simferopol | 38 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 48 | 38 | +10 | 40 | |
  | 9 | GEO | Torpedo Kutaisi | 38 | 14 | 9 | 15 | 44 | 41 | +3 | 37 | |
  | 10 | MDA | Nistru Chișinău | 38 | 13 | 11 | 14 | 42 | 40 | +2 | 37 | |
  | 11 | UKR | SKA Odessa | 38 | 12 | 10 | 16 | 43 | 51 | −8 | 34 | |
  | 12 | RUS | Shinnik Yaroslavl | 38 | 12 | 10 | 16 | 37 | 42 | −5 | 34 | |
  | 13 | TJK | Pamir Dushanbe | 38 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 47 | 41 | +6 | 34 | |
  | 14 | UKR | Metalurh Zaporizhzhia | 38 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 39 | 47 | −8 | 34 | |
  | 15 | UKR | Spartak Ivano-Frankivsk | 38 | 13 | 6 | 19 | 43 | 58 | −15 | 32 | |
  | 16 | RUS | Kuzbass Kemerovo | 38 | 12 | 7 | 19 | 38 | 54 | −16 | 31 | |
  | 17 | RUS | Uralmash Sverdlovsk | 38 | 10 | 11 | 17 | 31 | 50 | −19 | 31 | |
  | 18 | RUS | Spartak Orzhonikidze | 38 | 10 | 8 | 20 | 30 | 50 | −20 | 28 | |
  | 19 | RUS | Dinamo Leningrad | 38 | 7 | 13 | 18 | 47 | 65 | −18 | 27 | |
  | 20 | TKM | Kolhozchi Ashgabad | 38 | 7 | 9 | 22 | 27 | 60 | −33 | 23 | |
  
  * 1 2 -
  * 1 2 3 +
  
  ## Number of teams by union republic
  
  | Rank | Union republic | Number of teams | Club(s) |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | 1 | RSFSR | 9 | Terek Grozny, Kuban Krasnodar, Shinnik Yaroslavl, Kuzbass Kemerevo, Uralmash Sverdlovsk, Spartak Ordzhonikidze, Dinamo Leningrad, Krylia Sovetov Kuibyshev, SKA Rostov-na-Donu |
  | 2 | Ukrainian SSR | 5 | Karpaty Lvov, Tavria Simferopol, SKA Odessa, Metallurg Zaporozhye, Prykarpatye Ivano-Frankovsk |
  | 3 | Belarusian SSR | 1 | Dinamo Minsk |
  | 3 | Lithuanian SSR | 1 | Žalgiris Vilnius |
  | 3 | Georgian SSR | 1 | Torpedo Kutaisi |
  | 3 | Moldavian SSR | 1 | Nistru Kishinev |
  | 3 | Tajik SSR | 1 | Pamir Dushanbe |
  | 3 | Turkmen SSR | 1 | Kolhozchi Ashkhabad |
  