"Khimik" is a Russian football club from Dzerzhinsk, Nizhny Novgorod Region, founded in 1946 as a factory team at the chemical Sverdlov Plant. One of the oldest football teams in the region, it plays in the Second League of the Russian Championship. Its home ground is the Khimik Stadium, with a capacity of 5,266, located at 1 Uritskogo Street.[1][2]

History

The club was founded in 1946; its original name was "Sverdlov Plant." In 1947 the team made its debut in the RSFSR championship among physical-culture collectives, and on May 16 of that year it played its first match in the USSR championship, against Gorky's Torpedo. In 1949 the team was renamed "Khimik" ("Chemist"), reflecting the profile of the city's main employer, and began playing in the Gorky Region championship, quickly becoming one of the leaders of the regional competition.[1]

In the 1950s a significant role in the club's development was played by Viktor Andreyevich Shvedchikov, the team's player-coach. The leaders of the 1957 squad were goalkeeper Ye. Kiselyov and outfield players V. Kiselyov, A. Zhubarev, I. Mironov, V. Kozin, A. Zhukov, V. Parshin, L. Sergeyev, and G. Funtikov. In 1958 and 1959 Khimik became champion of the Gorky Region. In 1960 the club reached Class B of the USSR championship for the first time — the third-strongest division of Soviet football — and played in it through 1970, generally finishing in the upper part of the table. The best result of the Soviet period was 4th place in the Class B zonal tournament in 1968.[1]

In 1962 Khimik won the RSFSR Cup among physical-culture collectives — the club's first all-Russian trophy. In 1990 the team took 2nd place in Zone 5 of the USSR Second League — its best result in the final years of Soviet football. Since 1992 the club has played in the Russian leagues: its first season was in the Second League of the Russian Championship.[1]

In October 2007 Khimik won the final tournament of the Russian amateur team championship, held in Dzerzhinsk. In 2013 the club achieved another notable result in Russian competitions.[1]

In 2019 the club underwent reorganization and was re-established as the autonomous nonprofit organization (ANO) "Football Club 'Khimik'." Its sponsor is the Ya. M. Sverdlov Plant (a federal state-owned enterprise) — the same enterprise at which the team was founded more than seven decades ago.[1]

Current Status

In the 2023/24 season, Khimik played in the Second League, Division A, and finished 8th in the "silver" group. In the 2026 season, the club topped the standings of Group 4 of the Second League (Division B), earning 50 points in 19 matches with a goal difference of 52:13. In November 2026, Khimik took part in the Second League B "Final Four" in Moscow and won bronze medals.[2][3]

The club's president is Yevgeny Lyulin, and its general director is Andrey Kuvaev. In 2026 the team is coached by Andrey Blazhko; the captain is defender Artem Shirokov. The squad roster lists 25 players with an average age of 23.8 years, and there are no foreign players.[1][3]

Links

  • Wikidata (Q4497682 — entry in the free knowledge base)

Sources

  1. znanierussia.ru — Khimik (football club, Dzerzhinsk) — "Znanie.Wiki" encyclopedia
  2. fc-khimik.ru — The Character of Our City — FC Khimik Dzerzhinsk
  3. transfermarkt.world
  4. photosota.club — Khimik Dzerzhinsk Stadium, Russia (59 photos)