The 1997 Russian Second League was the sixth edition of the Second Division. There were 3 zones with 61 teams starting the competition (3 were excluded before the end of the season). This was the last season that the professional Russian Third League existed. Next season the Second League became the lowest professional level once again.
Zone West
Overview
Team Head coach FC Arsenal Tula Yevhen Kucherevskyi FC Lokomotiv Liski Vladimir Ponomaryov FC Salyut-YuKOS Belgorod Aleksandr Kryukov FC Volgar-Gazprom Astrakhan Boris Bashkin FC Spartak Tambov Vladimir Kovylin FC Torpedo Taganrog Anatoly Bulgakov FC Avtodor Vladikavkaz Ruslan Sakiyev FC Avtozapchast Baksan Sergei Tashuev FC Avtomobilist Noginsk Vladimir Bodrov FC Kavkazkabel Prokhladny Boris Kayushnikov FC Angusht Nazran Timur Kuriyev FC Dynamo Vologda Leon Yagubyants FC MChS-Selyatino Selyatino Leonid Nazarenko FC Venets Gulkevichi Viktor Zvyagin FC Avangard Kursk Aleksandr Galkin FC Mosenergo Moscow Valentin Sysoyev FC Spartak Anapa Igor Zazroyev FC SKA Rostov-on-Don Sergei Shvetsov FC Torpedo Armavir Nurbiy Khakunov FC Energiya Pyatigorsk Sergei Razaryonov FC Gatchina Nikolai Gosudarenkov FC Dynamo-Zhemchuzhina-2 Sochi Vladimir Aleynikov
Standings
Top goalscorers
33 goals
Aleksandr Kuzmichyov (FC Arsenal Tula)
32 goals
Dmitri Kirichenko (FC Torpedo Taganrog)
26 goals
Vladimir Kharin (FC Lokomotiv Liski)
21 goals
Andrei Bakalets (FC MChS-Selyatino Selyatino)
16 goals
Oleg Delov (FC Avangard Kursk)
14 goals
Anderson (FC Arsenal Tula) Anatoli Balaluyev (FC Avtomobilist Noginsk) Alik Dulayev (FC Avtodor Vladikavkaz) Grigori Ivanov (FC Avtodor Vladikavkaz) Mikhail Shumilin (FC MChS-Selyatino Selyatino)
Zone Center
Overview
Team Head coach FC Rubin Kazan Igor Volchok FC Amkar Perm Sergei Oborin FC Spartak Ryazan Sergei Nedosekin FC Energiya Chaikovsky Sergei Kleymyonov FC Nosta Novotroitsk Aleksandr Salnov FC Torpedo Arzamas Valeri Sinau (until July)Vladimir Inyutin (from August) FC UralAZ Miass Pyotr Nagayev FC Don Novomoskovsk Igor Solovyov FC Torpedo Pavlovo Aleksandr Sarafannikov FC Volga Ulyanovsk Aleksandr Korolyov FC Volga Tver Yuri Zubkov FC Oryol Vladimir Brykin FC Tekstilshchik Ivanovo Vladimir Belkov FC Sodovik Sterlitamak Sergei Maksimov FC Svetotekhnika Saransk Vladimir Bibikov FC Spartak-Orekhovo Orekhovo-Zuyevo Leonid Ostroushko FC Magnitka Magnitogorsk Viktor Sokolovskiy FC Dynamo Saint Petersburg Mark Rubin FC Spartak Shchyolkovo Aleksandr Leksin FC Sibir Kurgan Igor Kuznetsov FC Zenit Izhevsk Stanislav Korotayev
Standings
Top goalscorers
26 goals
Eduard Zatsepin (FC Svetotekhnika Saransk)
25 goals
Andrei Knyazev (FC Rubin Kazan)
22 goals
Vladimir Filimonov (FC Energiya Chaikovsky)
19 goals
Yuriy Yakovenko (FC Torpedo Arzamas)
17 goals
Sergei Budarin (FC Nosta Novotroitsk)
16 goals
Vladimir Pantyushenko (FC Rubin Kazan)
14 goals
Vitali Papadopulo (FC Torpedo Arzamas) Konstantin Paramonov (FC Amkar Perm)
13 goals
Aleksandr Katasonov (FC Amkar Perm) Andrei Minvaliyev (FC Tekstilshchik Ivanovo)
Zone East
Overview
Team Head coach FC Tom Tomsk Vladimir Yurin FC Samotlor-XXI Nizhnevartovsk Sergei Iromashvili FC SKA Khabarovsk Vladimir Susin FC Zvezda Irkutsk Sergei Muratov FC Dynamo Barnaul Aleksandr Gostenin FC Chkalovets Novosibirsk Valeri Yerkovich FC Irtysh Tobolsk Rudolf Atamalyan FC Kuzbass Kemerovo Viktor Shel FC Dynamo Omsk Artyom Amirdzhanov FC Viktoriya Nazarovo Mikhail Putintsev FC Amur-Energiya Blagoveshchensk Vyacheslav Kurtsayev FC Metallurg Krasnoyarsk Yuri Sipkin FC Metallurg-ZapSib Novokuznetsk Vitali Golopolosov FC Angara Angarsk Ivan Korzhenko FC Selenga Ulan-Ude Valeri Mikhnov FC Torpedo Rubtsovsk Vladimir Vorzhev FC Okean Nakhodka Pavel Palatin FC Mezhdurechensk Viktor Kolmogorov
Standings
Top goalscorers
21 goals
Aleksandr Yarkin (FC Viktoriya Nazarovo)
16 goals
Vadim Belokhonov (FC Metallurg Krasnoyarsk)
15 goals
Stanislav Chaplygin (FC Metallurg-Zapsib Novokuznetsk) Andrei Korovin (FC Amur-Energiya Blagoveshchensk)
14 goals
Yevgeni Savin (FC Dynamo Barnaul)
13 goals
Aleksei Kandalintsev (FC SKA Khabarovsk) Dmitri Kudinov (FC Tom Tomsk)
12 goals
Sergei Ageyev (FC Tom Tomsk) Vyacheslav Vishnevskiy (FC Tom Tomsk)
11 goals
Vyacheslav Fomin (FC Irtysh Tobolsk) Anatoli Kisurin (FC Dynamo Omsk) Anatoli Panchenko (FC Dynamo Barnaul) Sergei Rogalevskiy (FC Kuzbass Kemerovo) Yevgeni Sadovnikov (FC Zvezda Irkutsk) Igor Zykov (FC Selenga Ulan-Ude)
See also 1997 Russian Top League 1997 Russian First League 1997 Russian Third League