1996 Russian Third League

Zone 1

Overview

Standings

Notes.

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. FC Gekris Anapa renamed to FC Spartak.
4. FC Dynamo Makhachkala renamed to FC Dynamo-Imamat.
5. FC Kuban-d Krasnodar and PFC Spartak-d Nalchik played their first professional season.
6. FC Anzhi-2 Makhachkala moved to Kaspiysk.
7. FC Iriston Mozdok renamed to FC Mozdok.
8. FC Astrateks Astrakhan and FC Derbent did not play in any national-level competitions in 1997.
9. FC Spartak-2 Nartkala renamed to FC Nart.
10. FC Kabardey-ZET Nizhny Cherek promoted from the Amateur Football League. They did not play in any national-level competitions in 1997.
11. 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

• Azerbaijan 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.

1. 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.
2. FC Salyut-YuKOS Belgorod and FC Lokomotiv Yelets awarded 1 home win each.
3. FC Salyut Belgorod renamed to FC Salyut-YuKOS.
4. FC Dynamo-Zhemchuzhina-2 Sochi played their first professional season.
5. 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.
6. FC Zvezda Gorodishche did not play in any national-level competitions in 1997.
7. FC Izumrud Timashyovsk promoted from the Amateur Football League.
8. 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)
• Armenia 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.

1. FC TRASKO Moscow were excluded from the league after playing 18 games and gaining 7 points. All their results were discarded.
2. FC Mashinostroitel Sergiyev Posad awarded 1 home win.
3. FC Dynamo-d Moscow was not promoted as reserve teams were not eligible for promotion.
4. FC Torpedo-d Moscow renamed to FC Torpedo-Luzhniki-d.
5. FC Roda Moscow promoted from the Amateur Football League.
6. 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.

1. 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
2. FC Trion-Volga Tver renamed to FC Volga.
3. FC Lokomotiv-d St. Petersburg played their first professional season.
4. FC Spartak Bryansk promoted from the Amateur Football League.
5. 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

• Belarus 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.

1. FC Energetik Uren and FC Lokomotiv-d Nizhny Novgorod played their first professional season.
2. FC Biokhimik-Mordovia Saransk promoted from the Amateur Football League where it played in 1995 as FC Biokhimik Saransk.
3. FC Stroitel Morshansk and FC Iskra Engels promoted from the Amateur Football League.
4. 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.

1. 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.
2. FC Dynamo Perm awarded 1 home win.
3. FC Planeta Bugulma renamed to FC Neftyanik.
4. 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)