Kyiv’s Lokomotiv, the oldest football club in the capital, has secured promotion and will play in the First League of the Ukrainian Championship next season, according to the team’s press release.
In the final round, Lokomotiv clinched a crucial 2-0 away victory over Penuel. Despite a goalless first half and active resistance from the hosts, the Kyiv “Railwaymen” completely dominated the pitch. The deadlock was broken after the break, courtesy of a well-placed header by Bohdan Mordas and a spectacular goal from Oleksandr Savchuk.
This victory allowed Lokomotiv to claim first place in Group B of the Ukrainian Second League and earn a direct ticket to the First League.
“When I joined the club, many said it was impossible. They said that after everything it had been through, Loko would never return. That doing it without a stadium, without proper conditions, and during a war was unrealistic. But we didn’t give up. We built the team from scratch. We gathered people around the club who truly love Lokomotiv. We worked every single day. And today, our victory is already history,” FC Lokomotiv President Oleksandr Yegorov told Kyiv Post.
He also expressed special gratitude to the Ukrainian military, who are holding the frontline and making it possible for sports to develop in the rear.
“Without you, this simply wouldn’t have happened. Loko keeps moving forward,” Yegorov added.
FC Lokomotiv: Kyiv’s Oldest Club
Football Club Lokomotiv Kyiv, which has existed for 107 years, spent a long time in the shadow of Moscow’s Lokomotiv. In reality, the Kyiv club is older than its Moscow namesake — its history began in 1919 under the name “Zaldor.” Even the signature red and green team colors appeared in Kyiv first, when the uniform was tailored from fabric left over at railway warehouses. It was the cloth used for railway signal flags, where red meant stop and green meant go. Moscow adopted this symbolism much later.
In the 1930s, the Kyiv team was among the strongest, competing in the USSR Top League. However, in 1947, the Soviet leadership decided to leave only one “Lokomotiv” in the empire — the one in Moscow.
The Kyiv club was stripped of its professional status, its funding was redirected to the center, and its best players were forcibly transferred to Moscow. For decades, the Ukrainian club was used merely as a donor base to strengthen the Russian team.
Three years ago, Lokomotiv reclaimed its professional status and is now opened a new chapter of its history.
FC Lokomotiv President Oleksandr Yegorov recently spoke to Kyiv Post about the club’s self-sufficiency, systemic changes in training methods, and future plans.
Read the first part of the interview here.
Read the second part of the interview here.