title: 1996 Russian First League
text: # 1996 Russian First League
  
  The Russian First League 1996 was the 5th edition of Russian First Division
  
  ## Overview
  
  | Team | Head coach |
  | - | - |
  | FC Dynamo-Gazovik Tyumen | Aleksandr Irkhin |
  | FC Shinnik Yaroslavl | Anatoli Polosin |
  | FC Fakel Voronezh | Sergei Savchenkov |
  | FC Gazovik-Gazprom Izhevsk | Viktor Slesarev |
  | FC Dynamo Stavropol | Pyotr Shubin |
  | FC Zarya Leninsk-Kuznetsky | Sergei Vasyutin |
  | FC Uralan Elista | Pavlo Yakovenko |
  | FC Sokol-PZhD Saratov | Aleksandr Koreshkov (until July) Nikolay Kiselyov (from July) |
  | PFC Spartak Nalchik | Viktor Kumykov |
  | FC Kuban Krasnodar | Vladimir Brazhnikov |
  | FC Saturn Ramenskoye | Vladimir Mukhanov |
  | FC Lokomotiv St. Petersburg | Givi Nodia (until October) Viktor Nikitenko (caretaker, from October) |
  | FC Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk | Gennadi Sarychev (until July) Viktor Antikhovich (from August) |
  | FC Torpedo Volzhsky | Vladimir Dergach |
  | FC Luch Vladivostok | Ishtvan Sekech (until July) Boris Kolokolov (from August) |
  | FC Druzhba Maykop | Soferbi Yeshugov |
  | FC Lokomotiv Chita | Aleksandr Kovalyov |
  | FC Torpedo Arzamas | Valeri Tikhonov (until July) Valeri Sinau (from August) |
  | FC Okean Nakhodka | Sergei Bondarenko |
  | FC Zvezda Irkutsk | Sergei Muratov |
  | FC Metallurg Krasnoyarsk | Aleksandr Kishinevsky |
  | FC Chkalovets Novosibirsk | Leonid Shevchenko (until September) Vladimir Zaburdayev (from September) |
  
  ## Standings
  
  | Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | 1 | Dynamo-Gazovik Tyumen (P) | 42 | 24 | 12 | 6 | 82 | 34 | +48 | 84 | Promotion to Top League |
  | 2 | Shinnik Yaroslavl (P) | 42 | 24 | 11 | 7 | 66 | 32 | +34 | 83 | Promotion to Top League |
  | 3 | Fakel Voronezh (P) | 42 | 23 | 13 | 6 | 72 | 33 | +39 | 82 | Promotion to Top League |
  | 4 | Gazovik-Gazprom Izhevsk | 42 | 24 | 7 | 11 | 69 | 44 | +25 | 79 | |
  | 5 | Dynamo Stavropol | 42 | 22 | 8 | 12 | 64 | 45 | +19 | 74 | |
  | 6 | Zarya Leninsk-Kuznetsky | 42 | 19 | 9 | 14 | 63 | 54 | +9 | 66 | |
  | 7 | Uralan Elista | 42 | 19 | 9 | 14 | 47 | 41 | +6 | 66 | |
  | 8 | Sokol-PZhD Saratov | 42 | 18 | 8 | 16 | 56 | 49 | +7 | 62 | |
  | 9 | Spartak Nalchik | 42 | 17 | 8 | 17 | 62 | 59 | +3 | 59 | |
  | 10 | Kuban Krasnodar | 42 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 65 | 60 | +5 | 59 | |
  | 11 | Saturn Ramenskoye | 42 | 16 | 9 | 17 | 48 | 48 | 0 | 57 | |
  | 12 | Lokomotiv St. Petersburg | 42 | 15 | 10 | 17 | 57 | 46 | +11 | 55 | |
  | 13 | Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk | 42 | 15 | 10 | 17 | 45 | 55 | −10 | 55 | |
  | 14 | Torpedo Volzhsky | 42 | 15 | 9 | 18 | 57 | 71 | −14 | 54 | |
  | 15 | Luch Vladivostok | 42 | 14 | 12 | 16 | 39 | 49 | −10 | 54 | |
  | 16 | Druzhba Maykop | 42 | 15 | 8 | 19 | 50 | 47 | +3 | 53 | |
  | 17 | Lokomotiv Chita | 42 | 13 | 12 | 17 | 50 | 56 | −6 | 51 | |
  | 18 | Torpedo Arzamas (R) | 42 | 15 | 5 | 22 | 47 | 64 | −17 | 50 | Relegation to Second League |
  | 19 | Okean Nakhodka (R) | 42 | 10 | 9 | 23 | 42 | 76 | −34 | 39 | Relegation to Second League |
  | 20 | Zvezda Irkutsk (R) | 42 | 10 | 8 | 24 | 31 | 63 | −32 | 38 | Relegation to Second League |
  | 21 | Metallurg Krasnoyarsk (R) | 42 | 8 | 11 | 23 | 33 | 61 | −28 | 35 | Relegation to Second League |
  | 22 | Chkalovets Novosibirsk (R) | 42 | 7 | 6 | 29 | 44 | 102 | −58 | 27 | Relegation to Second League |
  
  * ↑ FC Dynamo Stavropol awarded one home win
  * ↑ FC Lokomotiv St. Petersburg was called FC Lokomotiv-Saturn for the first 24-game days of the season.
  
  ## Top goalscorers
  
  ### 22 goals
  
  * Varlam Kilasonia (FC Lokomotiv St. Petersburg)
  
  ### 20 goals
  
  * Karapet Mikaelyan (FC Sokol-PZhD Saratov)
  
  ### 19 goals
  
  * Sergei Toporov (FC Zarya Leninsk-Kuznetsky)
  
  ### 18 goals
  
  * Nail Galimov (FC Lokomotiv Chita)
  * Sergey Maslov (FC Dynamo Stavropol)
  * Oleksandr Pryzetko (FC Dynamo-Gazovik Tyumen)
  
  ### 17 goals
  
  * Vladislav Yarkin (FC Zarya Leninsk-Kuznetsky)
  
  ### 16 goals
  
  * Mikhail Zubchuk (FC Fakel Voronezh)
  
  ### 15 goals
  
  * Valeri Shushlyakov (FC Kuban Krasnodar)
  * Valeriy Yablochkin (FC Shinnik Yaroslavl)
  