The crest history of FC Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih reflects both the industrial character of Kryvyi Rih and the complicated history of a club that disappeared from professional football in 2013 before being revived in 2020. Throughout most of its modern history, red and white have been the defining colours of Kryvbas.
Between 1989 and 1993, Kryvbas used a traditional shield featuring red-and-white vertical stripes. A black diagonal band carried the Cyrillic name “ФК КРИВБАС” (FC Kryvbas), while a football appeared in the lower section. At the top, silhouettes of industrial buildings and mining structures represented Kryvyi Rih's identity as one of Ukraine's most important iron-mining and industrial centres.
In 1993, the crest underwent a substantial redesign. The shield now combined red and yellow vertical stripes with a football at the centre. A black band displayed the club's name, while a yellow upper section contained another industrial skyline. The imagery maintained the strong connection between Kryvbas and the mining heritage of its home city.
Another completely different identity appeared between 1996 and 1998. The traditional shield was abandoned in favour of a more dynamic horizontal logo. The Cyrillic “КРИВБАС” became the dominant feature, accompanied by “Кривий Ріг” (Kryvyi Rih), a football and red graphic elements.
In 1998, Kryvbas introduced the basic visual identity that remains associated with the club today. A large football was placed inside a black circular centre, surrounded by the words “ФК КРИВБАС – КРИВИЙ РІГ.” Red-and-white diagonal stripes crossed the football and extended beyond the circular badge, creating a distinctive modern design.
This crest remained in use until 2013, when severe financial difficulties forced the historic Kryvbas to withdraw from professional competition. The disappearance of the club created a seven-year break in the crest chronology.
In 2020, the Kryvbas name and identity were revived in professional football. Rather than creating an entirely new badge, the club deliberately returned to the familiar design used between 1998 and 2013.
The revived crest retains the black circular centre, football and striking red-and-white diagonal graphics. The principal visual addition is “2020”, divided on either side of the football, clearly identifying the beginning of the revived club's modern era.
This creates an important distinction within the crest history. The current badge deliberately connects the revived Kryvbas with the historic club and its traditions, while the 2020 date acknowledges the re-establishment of the modern organisation.
FC Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih Club History
Founded in 1959, FC Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih is one of the historic football clubs of central Ukraine. Based in Kryvyi Rih, one of the country's largest industrial and iron-mining centres, the club has traditionally played in red and white. Its name Kryvbas is derived from Kryvorizkyi Iron Ore Basin (Kryvyi Rih Basin), directly connecting the team with the industrial heritage of its home city.
The club's origins can be traced to 1959, when a team named Hirnyk Kryvyi Rih was established. During the Soviet period, the club underwent several name changes, including Avanhard and Kryvbas, with the latter eventually becoming its permanent identity.
For much of the Soviet era, Kryvbas competed in the lower levels of the Soviet football system. Although it never became one of the major Soviet clubs, it developed a strong following in Kryvyi Rih and established itself as an important sporting representative of the city's mining and industrial community.
The collapse of the Soviet Union and creation of an independent Ukrainian football system provided Kryvbas with a new opportunity. The club won the 1992 Ukrainian First League and earned promotion to the country's top division.
Kryvbas subsequently became a long-standing member of the Ukrainian Premier League. Its greatest period came during the late 1990s, when the club emerged as one of the strongest teams outside Ukraine's traditional powers.
Kryvbas finished third in the Ukrainian championship in both 1998–99 and 1999–2000. These performances qualified the club for European competition and represented the highest league finishes in its history.
The club also reached the Ukrainian Cup final in 2000, where it faced Dynamo Kyiv. Kryvbas was defeated, but reaching the final confirmed the late 1990s as the most successful period of the original club.
European qualification brought Kryvbas into the UEFA Cup, giving the team from Kryvyi Rih opportunities to represent Ukraine internationally. Although its European campaigns were relatively brief, they remain an important part of the club's history.
During the following decade, Kryvbas remained a familiar presence in the Ukrainian top division but increasingly experienced financial difficulties. These problems eventually became unsustainable. Despite finishing the 2012–13 Premier League season in the upper half of the table, the club was unable to meet the financial requirements necessary to continue professional competition.
As a result, the historic Kryvbas effectively disappeared from professional football in 2013, ending more than two decades of continuous participation in independent Ukraine's top division.
The Kryvbas identity was revived in 2020. The project was built around FC Hirnyk Kryvyi Rih, which was renamed Kryvbas, restoring the historic name, red-and-white colours and visual identity to Ukrainian professional football. The revival received significant local support and deliberately presented itself as the continuation of Kryvyi Rih's Kryvbas football tradition.
Progress was rapid. The revived club climbed through the Ukrainian league system and earned promotion to the Ukrainian Premier League in 2022.
The return coincided with an extraordinarily difficult period following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Kryvyi Rih has repeatedly been targeted during the war, yet Kryvbas continued competing in the national championship.
Under coach Yuriy Vernydub, Kryvbas developed into one of the strongest teams outside Ukraine's traditional leading clubs. The club finished third in the 2023–24 Ukrainian Premier League, matching the best league position achieved by the historic Kryvbas and earning a return to European competition after an absence of more than two decades.
