Zorya

The modern professional team of Zorya Luhansk, during its Soviet period known also as Zaria Voroshilovgrad/Lugansk and for a short period Zorya-MALS, was created in 1964 as the city's team of masters by merging the factory team with another team of masters "Trudovye Rezervy". Before 1964, the factory team played mostly in republican competitions of the Ukrainian SSR.

The history of football in the city of Luhansk begins in the early 20th century.

The first Luhansk team was created in the Russian Empire in 1908 when the workers of the Russischen Maschinenbaugesellschaft Hartmann (today "Luhansk Locomotive") created the "Society of Rational Recreations". One of the disciplines was a game of kickball headed by the Czech specialist Henrich Drževikovski from Prague, who originally was an instructor of gymnastics of the factory's ministerial school. That team played its games and conducted its training on the empty lot near the factory where today the sport hall "Zorya" is located.

The first mention of games involving the Luhansk team dates back to 1911. In 1913 in Kostyantynivka the first regional football league of Donets basin was created. During World War I and the subsequent Soviet and German hostilities, the league was suspended until 1920, by which time the situation in the region had stabilized.

In 1922 in the city of Luhansk was built a new stadium, possibly "on the personal order" of Vladimir Lenin and later named after him. In 1923 the workers of the Luhansk steam train factory of the October Revolution (hence – the club's logo with a locomotive) organized their football team "Metalist" which became the forerunner of today's Zorya. The following year there the championship of the newly created Luhansk okruha (district) was created. In the final game the collective city team of Luhansk was victorious against their rivals from the city of Snizhne, winning the title after extra time 1–0. In 1926, the All-Ukrainian Committee of the Mining Workers' council organized a team of Donbass miners, players from Kadiivka, for a tour in Germany (Weimar Republic). There the Donbass team won four of their eight games. The following year an international game took place in Luhansk, in which the city team was challenged by their rivals from Austria. The Donbas players lost the game.

In 1936 the football teams "Metalist" and (KGB team) merged to form the united Luhansk city-team which the following year was named Dzerzhynets. The name "Dzerzhynets" derives from the steam locomotive that was produced at the steam train factory FD – "Felix Dzerzhinsky". That year "Dzerzhynets" reached 3rd place in the Ukrainian second league.

In 1937 "Dzerzhynets" won Ukrainian's second league and was promoted to the first. Moreover, it reached the 1/8 final of the Ukrainian Сup and the 1/16 final of the Soviet Cup. The team consisted of the following players: Klad'ko (coach), Hrebenyuk, Svidyns'kyi, Mazanov, Morozov, Krasyuk, Nosko, Movchan, Brovenko, Chernyavs'kyi, Voloschenko, Lokotosh, Sytnikov, Yevdokymov, Myroshnikov, Ishchenko.

In 1938 "Dzerzhynets" became champions of Ukraine after having won 9 games and drawn two. It was thus admitted to all-Union competitions, the 1939 Soviet Football Championship Gruppa B (second tier). It made its debut on Friday, 12 May 1939 in away match in Dnipro against Stal Dnipropetrovsk which Dzerzhynets lost 0:1. The goal was scored by Vasyl Hotselyuk. The team was composed of the following players: Pavlo Svidynskyi (goalkeeper), Mykhailo Sukharev, Semen Myroshnikov, Oleksandr Kulahin, Hryhoriy Nosko (all defenders), Mykola Krasyuk, Artavazd Akopyants (both halfbacks), Kostiantyn Pyrohov, Pyotr Buyanov, Mykola Lokotosh, Petro Yurchenko (all forwards).

Post war revival

After World War II, the club was not revived right away. The city of Luhansk was represented by Dynamo Luhansk, while in 1949–1951 there was as well a team of the Luhansk regional party administration "Trudovi Rezervy". In 1950 Dynamo Luhansk merged into Trudovi Rezervy. In 1951 the chief of Trudovi Rezervy's regional administration, Ivan Lomakin; went on trial and the team was liquidated.

In 1948 "Dzerzhynets" was re-established in the lower leagues of the Ukrainian championship. Due to the liquidation of Trudovi Rezervy, Dzerzhynets was allowed to compete among the "mater teams" (Soviet terminology for their professional level). Few players from Trudovi Rezervy joined the factory team. In 1954, Dzerzhynets was transferred under the administration of the Republican Volunteer Society of "Avanhard" which continued its participation in competitions until 1959.

Due to a bleak performance of "Avanhard" in 1957 in the city of Voroshilovhrad, it was revived as another club "Trudovi Rezervy" which this time comprised students from the Leningrad Technicum of Physical Culture and Sports (today College of Physical Culture and Sports of the Saint Petersburg State University).

After the liquidation of Avanhard in 1959, in 1960 in Luhansk the October Revolution (OR) Factory team. was established.

Modern period

During the already ongoing 1964 season and playing several rounds, on 10 April 1964 the Soviet Football Federation issued its decision about merger of two clubs "Trudovi Rezervy" and OR Factory team (SC Zorya) into FC Zorya Voroshilovhrad.

In 1972 Zorya did not only win its only Soviet championship, but also represented, re-enforced with only three players from other clubs, the USSR at the Brazilian Independence Cup (Taça Independência) mid-year. However, only Volodymyr Onyshchenko represented the club at the Final of the European Football Championship few weeks earlier.

In 1992 the club was acquired by a Moscow Science-Production Association "MALS" and participated in the competition of the Ukrainian Top League.

In the season 2005–06 the team won first place in the Persha Liha, and had been promoted to the Vyscha Liha. Zorya was one of the original twenty teams to debut for the first season of the Ukrainian Premier League. The team played for five seasons until the 1995–96 season in which they finished eighteenth and were sent down to the Persha Liha. Zorya relegated to Druha Liha in 1996–97 season but she returned to Persha Liha in 2003–04 season.

The War in Donbas which started in 2014 made the team relocate to Zaporizhzhia, as Luhansk was seized by the Russian-backed Luhansk People's Republic forces. In 2016 the team had advanced sufficiently in the standings that they were involved in the European wide play-offs in the UEFA Europa League. In the 2016-17 Europa League season, Zorya Luhansk played group matches against Feyenoord, Fenerbahçe, and Manchester United.

Names

Predecessors

• 1923–35: FC Metallist Lugansk (city was renamed to Voroshilovgrad in 1935)
• 1936–40: FC Dzerzhinets Voroshilovgrad (dissolved due to the war; named after Felix Dzerzhinsky)
• 1948–53: FC Dzerzhinets Voroshilovgrad (team transferred under Avanhard sports society)
• 1953–59: FC Avangard Voroshilovgrad (reorganized, city was renamed to Lugansk in 1958)

Trudovi Rezervy

• 1949–51: Trudovye Rezervy Voroshilovgrad (team liquidated, criminal proceedings)
• 1957–64: Trudovye Rezervy Lugansk (new team; team merged into SC Zorya)

Zorya

• 1960–64: SC Zaria Lugansk (revived as the OR Factory sports club and reorganized)
• 1964–70: FC Zaria Lugansk (merged with Trudovi Rezervy to united football club)
• 1970–90: FC Zaria Voroshilovgrad (city was renamed to Voroshilovgrad in 1970)
• 1990–91: FC Zaria Lugansk (city was renamed back to Lugansk in 1990)
• 1992–96: FC Zorya-MALS Luhansk (renamed with adding of the sponsor name)
• 1996–present: FC Zorya Luhansk (Ukrainian period, modern team)