Today, the modern club considers its predecessor the football team of the Luhansk Steam Locomotive Plant[1] (October Revolution Steam Locomotive Plant, today Luhanskteplovoz) that was established back in 1923, however due to poor performance of the factory team in the 1950s which played at republican level, the playing record of "Trudovye Rezervy" which played at all-Union level is also considered part of the club's history.

One of the disciplines was a game of kickball headed by the Czech specialist Henrich Drževikovski from Prague, who originally was an instructor of gymnastics of the factory's ministerial school.

That team played its games and conducted its training on the empty lot near the factory where today the sport hall "Zorya" is located.

During World War I and the subsequent Soviet and German hostilities, the league was suspended until 1920, by which time the situation in the region had stabilized.

In 1923 the workers of the Luhansk steam train factory of the October Revolution (hence – the club's logo with a locomotive) organized their football team "Metalist" which became the forerunner of today's Zorya.

In 1926, the All-Ukrainian Committee of the Mining Workers' council organized a team of Donbass miners, players from Kadiivka, for a tour in Germany (Weimar Republic).

The team consisted of the following players: Klad'ko (coach), Hrebenyuk, Svidyns'kyi, Mazanov, Morozov, Krasyuk, Nosko, Movchan, Brovenko, Chernyavs'kyi, Voloschenko, Lokotosh, Sytnikov, Yevdokymov, Myroshnikov, Ishchenko.

[4] The team was composed of the following players: Pavlo Svidynskyi (goalkeeper), Mykhailo Sukharev, Semen Myroshnikov, Oleksandr Kulahin, Hryhoriy Nosko (all defenders), Mykola Krasyuk, Artavazd Akopyants (both halfbacks), Kostiantyn Pyrohov, Pyotr Buyanov, Mykola Lokotosh, Petro Yurchenko (all forwards).

[6] Due to the liquidation of Trudovi Rezervy, Dzerzhynets was allowed to compete among the "mater teams" (Soviet terminology for their professional level).

[8] Due to a bleak performance of "Avanhard" in 1957 in the city of Voroshilovhrad, it was revived as another club "Trudovi Rezervy"[7] which this time comprised students from the Leningrad Technicum of Physical Culture and Sports (today College of Physical Culture and Sports of the Saint Petersburg State University).

[10] In 1972 Zorya did not only win its only Soviet championship, but also represented, re-enforced with only three players from other clubs, the USSR at the Brazilian Independence Cup (Taça Independência) mid-year.

In 1992 the club was acquired by a Moscow Science-Production Association "MALS" and participated in the competition of the Ukrainian Top League.

In 2016 the team had advanced sufficiently in the standings that they were involved in the European wide play-offs in the UEFA Europa League.

In the 2016-17 Europa League season, Zorya Luhansk played group matches against Feyenoord, Fenerbahçe, and Manchester United.

Another all-Ukrainian football competitions among "collectives of physical culture" (KFK) were conducted since 1964 that were ongoing until 1991 and sometimes are confused for the actually championship mentioned before.

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply.

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply.