# Soviet Union national speedway team

The Soviet Union national speedway team were one of the leading nations who competed in international team motorcycle speedway.

## History

The Soviet Union speedway team (which consisted predominantly of Russian riders but also Ukrainian, Latvian and Belarus riders) first competed in the 1961 edition of the Speedway World Team Cup, where they finished second in the East European round. Throughout the history of World Team Cup, the team were regular World Cup contenders from 1961 until their final World Cup in 1983. They reached the final on 12 occasions, winning the silver medal five times, in 1964, 1966, 1971, 1972, 1975 and the bronze medals three times, in 1967, 1969 and 1973.
The team also reached the final of the Speedway World Pairs Championship in 1973 and 1974.
Following the Dissolution of the Soviet Union at the end of 1991, the riders then competed for their new speedway nations of the Russia, Ukraine and Latvia.

## Major world finals
### World team Cup

| Year | Venue | Standings (Pts) | Riders | Pts |
| 1964 | Abensberg Abensberg Speedwaystadion | 1. Sweden (34) 2. Soviet Union (25) 3. Great Britain (21) 4. Poland (16) | Igor Plekhanov | 8 |
| 1964 | Abensberg Abensberg Speedwaystadion | 1. Sweden (34) 2. Soviet Union (25) 3. Great Britain (21) 4. Poland (16) | Gennady Kurilenko | 8 |
| 1964 | Abensberg Abensberg Speedwaystadion | 1. Sweden (34) 2. Soviet Union (25) 3. Great Britain (21) 4. Poland (16) | Yuri Chekranov | 6 |
| 1964 | Abensberg Abensberg Speedwaystadion | 1. Sweden (34) 2. Soviet Union (25) 3. Great Britain (21) 4. Poland (16) | Boris Samorodov | 3 |
| 1965 | Kempten Kempten Speedway | 1. Poland (38) 2. Sweden (34) 3. Great Britain (18) 4. Soviet Union (7) | Gennady Kurilenko | 2 |
| 1965 | Kempten Kempten Speedway | 1. Poland (38) 2. Sweden (34) 3. Great Britain (18) 4. Soviet Union (7) | Yuri Chekranov | 2 |
| 1965 | Kempten Kempten Speedway | 1. Poland (38) 2. Sweden (34) 3. Great Britain (18) 4. Soviet Union (7) | Vladimir Sokolov | 2 |
| 1965 | Kempten Kempten Speedway | 1. Poland (38) 2. Sweden (34) 3. Great Britain (18) 4. Soviet Union (7) | Igor Plekhanov | 1 |
| 1965 | Kempten Kempten Speedway | 1. Poland (38) 2. Sweden (34) 3. Great Britain (18) 4. Soviet Union (7) | Viktor Trofimov | 0 |
| 1966 | Wrocław Stadion Olimpijski | 1. Poland (40) 2. Soviet Union (26) 3. Sweden (22) 4. Great Britain (8) | Boris Samorodov | 10 |
| 1966 | Wrocław Stadion Olimpijski | 1. Poland (40) 2. Soviet Union (26) 3. Sweden (22) 4. Great Britain (8) | Igor Plekhanov | 6 |
| 1966 | Wrocław Stadion Olimpijski | 1. Poland (40) 2. Soviet Union (26) 3. Sweden (22) 4. Great Britain (8) | Viktor Trofimov | 6 |
| 1966 | Wrocław Stadion Olimpijski | 1. Poland (40) 2. Soviet Union (26) 3. Sweden (22) 4. Great Britain (8) | Farid Szajnurov | 4 |
| 1967 | Malmö Malmö Stadion | 1. Sweden (32) 2. Poland (26) 3. Great Britain (19) 4. Soviet Union (19) | Igor Plekhanov | 9 |
| 1967 | Malmö Malmö Stadion | 1. Sweden (32) 2. Poland (26) 3. Great Britain (19) 4. Soviet Union (19) | Viktor Trofimov | 4 |
| 1967 | Malmö Malmö Stadion | 1. Sweden (32) 2. Poland (26) 3. Great Britain (19) 4. Soviet Union (19) | Boris Samorodov | 3 |
| 1967 | Malmö Malmö Stadion | 1. Sweden (32) 2. Poland (26) 3. Great Britain (19) 4. Soviet Union (19) | Gabdrakhman Kadyrov | 2 |
| 1967 | Malmö Malmö Stadion | 1. Sweden (32) 2. Poland (26) 3. Great Britain (19) 4. Soviet Union (19) | Farid Szajnurov | 1 |
| 1969 | Rybnik Rybnik Municipal Stadium | 1. Poland (31) 2. Great Britain (23) 3. Soviet Union (23) 4. Sweden (12) | Vladimir Smirnov | 9 |
| 1969 | Rybnik Rybnik Municipal Stadium | 1. Poland (31) 2. Great Britain (23) 3. Soviet Union (23) 4. Sweden (12) | Gennady Kurilenko | 8 |
| 1969 | Rybnik Rybnik Municipal Stadium | 1. Poland (31) 2. Great Britain (23) 3. Soviet Union (23) 4. Sweden (12) | Valeri Klementiev | 5 |
| 1969 | Rybnik Rybnik Municipal Stadium | 1. Poland (31) 2. Great Britain (23) 3. Soviet Union (23) 4. Sweden (12) | Yury Dubinin | 1 |
| 1969 | Rybnik Rybnik Municipal Stadium | 1. Poland (31) 2. Great Britain (23) 3. Soviet Union (23) 4. Sweden (12) | Viktor Trofimov | 0 |
| 1971 | Wrocław Stadion Olimpijski | 1. Great Britain (37) 2. Soviet Union (22) 3. Poland (19) 4. Sweden (18) | Grigory Khlinovsky | 8 |
| 1971 | Wrocław Stadion Olimpijski | 1. Great Britain (37) 2. Soviet Union (22) 3. Poland (19) 4. Sweden (18) | Vladimir Smirnov | 7 |
| 1971 | Wrocław Stadion Olimpijski | 1. Great Britain (37) 2. Soviet Union (22) 3. Poland (19) 4. Sweden (18) | Vladimir Gordeev | 4 |
| 1971 | Wrocław Stadion Olimpijski | 1. Great Britain (37) 2. Soviet Union (22) 3. Poland (19) 4. Sweden (18) | Anatoly Kuzmin | 3 |
| 1972 | Olching Olching Speedwaybahn | 1. Great Britain (36) 2. Soviet Union (21) 3. Poland (21) 4. Sweden (18) | Anatoly Kuzmin | 6 |
| 1972 | Olching Olching Speedwaybahn | 1. Great Britain (36) 2. Soviet Union (21) 3. Poland (21) 4. Sweden (18) | Viktor Trofimov | 5 |
| 1972 | Olching Olching Speedwaybahn | 1. Great Britain (36) 2. Soviet Union (21) 3. Poland (21) 4. Sweden (18) | Viktor Kalmykov | 5 |
| 1972 | Olching Olching Speedwaybahn | 1. Great Britain (36) 2. Soviet Union (21) 3. Poland (21) 4. Sweden (18) | Grigory Khlinovsky | 5 |
| 1973 | London Wembley | 1. Great Britain (37) 2. Sweden (31) 3. Soviet Union (20) 4. Poland (8) | Valery Gordeev | 7 |
| 1973 | London Wembley | 1. Great Britain (37) 2. Sweden (31) 3. Soviet Union (20) 4. Poland (8) | Vladimir Paznikov | 5 |
| 1973 | London Wembley | 1. Great Britain (37) 2. Sweden (31) 3. Soviet Union (20) 4. Poland (8) | Grigory Khlinovsky | 4 |
| 1973 | London Wembley | 1. Great Britain (37) 2. Sweden (31) 3. Soviet Union (20) 4. Poland (8) | Aleksandr Pavlov | 2 |
| 1973 | London Wembley | 1. Great Britain (37) 2. Sweden (31) 3. Soviet Union (20) 4. Poland (8) | Viktor Trofimov | 2 |
| 1974 | Chorzów Silesian Stadium | 1. England (42) 2. Sweden (31) 3. Poland (13) 4. Soviet Union (10) | Mikhail Krasnov | 5 |
| 1974 | Chorzów Silesian Stadium | 1. England (42) 2. Sweden (31) 3. Poland (13) 4. Soviet Union (10) | Valery Gordeev | 4 |
| 1974 | Chorzów Silesian Stadium | 1. England (42) 2. Sweden (31) 3. Poland (13) 4. Soviet Union (10) | Viktor Kalmykov | 1 |
| 1974 | Chorzów Silesian Stadium | 1. England (42) 2. Sweden (31) 3. Poland (13) 4. Soviet Union (10) | Anatoly Kuzmin | 0 |
| 1975 | Norden Motodrom Halbemond | 1. England (41) 2. Soviet Union (29) 3. Sweden (16) 4. Poland (9) | Valery Gordeev | 8 |
| 1975 | Norden Motodrom Halbemond | 1. England (41) 2. Soviet Union (29) 3. Sweden (16) 4. Poland (9) | Grigory Khlinovsky | 8 |
| 1975 | Norden Motodrom Halbemond | 1. England (41) 2. Soviet Union (29) 3. Sweden (16) 4. Poland (9) | Viktor Trofimov | 8 |
| 1975 | Norden Motodrom Halbemond | 1. England (41) 2. Soviet Union (29) 3. Sweden (16) 4. Poland (9) | Vladimir Gordeev | 5 |
| 1976 | London White City Stadium | 1. Australia (31) 2. Poland (28) 3. Sweden (26) 4. Soviet Union (11) | Valery Gordeev | 5 |
| 1976 | London White City Stadium | 1. Australia (31) 2. Poland (28) 3. Sweden (26) 4. Soviet Union (11) | Grigory Khlinovsky | 2 |
| 1976 | London White City Stadium | 1. Australia (31) 2. Poland (28) 3. Sweden (26) 4. Soviet Union (11) | Vladimir Gordeev | 2 |
| 1976 | London White City Stadium | 1. Australia (31) 2. Poland (28) 3. Sweden (26) 4. Soviet Union (11) | Vladimir Paznikov | 2 |
| 1976 | London White City Stadium | 1. Australia (31) 2. Poland (28) 3. Sweden (26) 4. Soviet Union (11) | Viktor Trofimov | 0 |
| 1981 | Olching Olching Speedwaybahn | 1. Denmark (36) 2. England (29) 3. West Germany (28) 4. Soviet Union (3) | Viktor Kuznetsov | 2 |
| 1981 | Olching Olching Speedwaybahn | 1. Denmark (36) 2. England (29) 3. West Germany (28) 4. Soviet Union (3) | Nikolay Kornev | 1 |
| 1981 | Olching Olching Speedwaybahn | 1. Denmark (36) 2. England (29) 3. West Germany (28) 4. Soviet Union (3) | Anatoly Maksimov | 0 |
| 1981 | Olching Olching Speedwaybahn | 1. Denmark (36) 2. England (29) 3. West Germany (28) 4. Soviet Union (3) | Mikhail Starostin | 0 |
| 1981 | Olching Olching Speedwaybahn | 1. Denmark (36) 2. England (29) 3. West Germany (28) 4. Soviet Union (3) | Valery Gordeev | 0 |

### World Pairs finals

* 1973 (4th)
* 1974 (6th)

## International caps

Since the advent of the Speedway Grand Prix era, international caps earned by riders is largely restricted to international competitions, whereas previously test matches between two teams were a regular occurrence.
| Rider | Caps |
| Aas, Rene (E) | 5 |
| Chekranov, Yuri | |
| Drobyazko, Leonid | |
| Dubinin, Yury | |
| Dyuzhev, Sergey | |
| Gordeev, Valery | |
| Gordeev, Vladimir (G) | |
| Kadyrov, Gabdrakhman | |
| Kalmykov, Viktor | |
| Khlinovsky, Grigory (U) | |
| Klementiev, Valeri | |
| Kornev, Nikolay | |
| Krasnov, Mikhail | |
| Kurilenko, Gennady (U) | |
| Kuzmin, Anatoly | |
| Kuznetsov, Viktor | |
| Maksimov, Anatoly | |
| Nerytov, Vsevolod | |
| Pavlov, Aleksandr | |
| Paznikov, Vladimir | |
| Plekhanov, Igor | |
| Rozhanchuk, Vladimir | |
| Saitgareev, Rif | |
| Samorodov, Boris | |
| Shilo, Viktor | |
| Smirnov, Vladimir | |
| Sokolov, Vladimir (U)z | |
| Starostin, Mikhail | |
| Szajnurov, Farid | |
| Trofimov, Vladimir (U) | |
| Trofimov, Viktor | |
Key
* Russian unless stated
* (E) - Estonian
* (G) - Georgian
* (L) - Latvian
* (U) - Ukrainian