| Competition: | Russian Second League |
| Season: | 1997 |
| Prevseason: | 1996 |
| Nextseason: | 1998 |
The 1997 Russian Second League was the sixth edition of the Second Division. There were 3 zones with 61 teams starting the competition (3 were excluded before the end of the season). This was the last season that the professional Russian Third League existed. Next season the Second League became the lowest professional level once again.
| Team | Head coach |
|---|---|
| FC Arsenal Tula |  Yevhen Kucherevskyi |
| FC Lokomotiv Liski | Vladimir Ponomaryov |
| FC Salyut-YuKOS Belgorod | Aleksandr Kryukov |
| FC Volgar-Gazprom Astrakhan | Boris Bashkin |
| FC Spartak Tambov | Vladimir Kovylin |
| FC Torpedo Taganrog | Anatoly Bulgakov |
| FC Avtodor Vladikavkaz | Ruslan Sakiyev |
| FC Avtozapchast Baksan | Sergei Tashuev |
| FC Avtomobilist Noginsk | Vladimir Bodrov |
| FC Kavkazkabel Prokhladny | Boris Kayushnikov |
| FC Angusht Nazran | Timur Kuriyev |
| FC Dynamo Vologda | Leon Yagubyants |
| FC MChS-Selyatino Selyatino | Leonid Nazarenko |
| FC Venets Gulkevichi | Viktor Zvyagin |
| FC Avangard Kursk | Aleksandr Galkin |
| FC Mosenergo Moscow | Valentin Sysoyev |
| FC Spartak Anapa | Igor Zazroyev |
| FC SKA Rostov-on-Don | Sergei Shvetsov |
| FC Torpedo Armavir | Nurbiy Khakunov |
| FC Energiya Pyatigorsk | Sergei Razaryonov |
| FC Gatchina | Nikolai Gosudarenkov |
| FC Dynamo-Zhemchuzhina-2 Sochi | Vladimir Aleynikov |
Anderson (FC Arsenal Tula)| Team | Head coach |
|---|---|
| FC Rubin Kazan | Igor Volchok |
| FC Amkar Perm | Sergei Oborin |
| FC Spartak Ryazan | Sergei Nedosekin |
| FC Energiya Chaikovsky | Sergei Kleymyonov |
| FC Nosta Novotroitsk | Aleksandr Salnov |
| FC Torpedo Arzamas | Valeri Sinau (until July) Vladimir Inyutin (from August) |
| FC UralAZ Miass | Pyotr Nagayev |
| FC Don Novomoskovsk | Igor Solovyov |
| FC Torpedo Pavlovo | Aleksandr Sarafannikov |
| FC Volga Ulyanovsk | Aleksandr Korolyov |
| FC Volga Tver | Yuri Zubkov |
| FC Oryol | Vladimir Brykin |
| FC Tekstilshchik Ivanovo | Vladimir Belkov |
| FC Sodovik Sterlitamak | Sergei Maksimov |
| FC Svetotekhnika Saransk | Vladimir Bibikov |
| FC Spartak-Orekhovo Orekhovo-Zuyevo | Leonid Ostroushko |
| FC Magnitka Magnitogorsk | Viktor Sokolovskiy |
| FC Dynamo Saint Petersburg | Mark Rubin |
| FC Spartak Shchyolkovo | Aleksandr Leksin |
| FC Sibir Kurgan | Igor Kuznetsov |
| FC Zenit Izhevsk | Stanislav Korotayev |
Yuriy Yakovenko (FC Torpedo Arzamas)| Team | Head coach |
|---|---|
| FC Tom Tomsk | Vladimir Yurin |
| FC Samotlor-XXI Nizhnevartovsk | Sergei Iromashvili |
| FC SKA Khabarovsk | Vladimir Susin |
| FC Zvezda Irkutsk | Sergei Muratov |
| FC Dynamo Barnaul | Aleksandr Gostenin |
| FC Chkalovets Novosibirsk | Valeri Yerkovich |
| FC Irtysh Tobolsk | Rudolf Atamalyan |
| FC Kuzbass Kemerovo | Viktor Shel |
| FC Dynamo Omsk | Artyom Amirdzhanov |
| FC Viktoriya Nazarovo | Mikhail Putintsev |
| FC Amur-Energiya Blagoveshchensk | Vyacheslav Kurtsayev |
| FC Metallurg Krasnoyarsk | Yuri Sipkin |
| FC Metallurg-ZapSib Novokuznetsk | Vitali Golopolosov |
| FC Angara Angarsk | Ivan Korzhenko |
| FC Selenga Ulan-Ude | Valeri Mikhnov |
| FC Torpedo Rubtsovsk | Vladimir Vorzhev |
| FC Okean Nakhodka | Pavel Palatin |
| FC Mezhdurechensk | Viktor Kolmogorov |