The team has played under the following names: Stakhanovets (1936-1946), Shakhtyor (1946-1992) and FC Shakhtar (since 1992). The club was originally formed in May 1936 and was initially named Stakhanovets after Oleksiy Stakhanov, a legendary coal-miner in the Donbass distinguished for his prominently hard work. The first success for the team was in 1951, when then-renamed Shakhar took third-place in the USSR Championship. The 'Miners’ country' team has always been famous for its willing disposition, team identity, and never-say-die attitude. Beginning in the 1960s, Shakhtar under Oleg Oshenkov’s coaching were three-time USSR Cup finalists, winning it twice in 1961 and 1962. The club was nicknamed “The Cup Team” due to Shakhtar’s success in vying for the trophy every year, however the Miners’ more notable achievements occurred later from the mid-1970s to the early 1980s. In 1975, Shakhtar took 2nd in the USSR Championship and received the right to represent the Soviet Union in EuroCups. In 1978, Shakhtar finished third in the USSR Championship. A year later, the team once again took the honorable second place and its captain – striker Vitaliy Starukhin – was named the best player and the best forward in the USSR Championship (26 goals scored). Shakhtar twice, in 1980 and 1983, brought home the crystal USSR Cup to Donbass and in 1983, it won the USSR Super Cup over then-domestic league champions FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk. In the newly independent Ukraine, FC Shakhtar along with Dynamo Kyiv became perennial first place competitors. In part to the generosity of Ukrainian businessman Rinat Akhmetov who has run FC Shakhtar since 1996, the club has steadily improved its play and infrastructure, as promised by the club president himself (who has vowed to bring European glory to FC Shakhtar and its fans). In 1999, an FC Shakhtar Football academy was opened and nowadays hosts football training for roughly 3000 children. The same year, a Sports Training Complex "Kirsha", considered to be one of the best in Europe, was opened for the senior squad's use.
Stadium
FC Shakhtar has been playing most of its games at the recently renovated RSK Olimpiyskiy stadium. The team has started construction on a new stadium, Shakhtar Stadium which will have a capacity of 50,000 and will be a UEFA five star venue. FC Shakhtar's old home, the central Shakhtar Stadium which was built in 1936, and was reconstructed four times, is currently being used by FC Metalurg Donetsk. The stadium received some major renovations, including the installation of bench seats in 2000, when FC Shakhtar made it to the Champions League Group Stage.
Logo history
Club crest 1997-2007
The first logo of the club was designed in 1936, it featured a blue hexagon, with a red 'S' in the middle, crossed over by a jackhammer. In 1946, when the club was renamed, the logo was changed to black and white, with addition of club's name. Later in the middle of the 60s logo depicted two crossed hammers and a writing Shakhtar 'Donetsk' in the circle. About the same time the crest was added to the kit and remained there since, except for several seasons, in the beginning of 1990s. In 1989, an artist, Viktor Savilov, on the event of the club restructuring offered a draft variant of a logo with elements of the ball and a pitch. Some time later the logo was remodelled into the present one. Today's emblem was added to the kit in 1997.[1]
Rinat Akhmetov
Mircea Lucescu
