Nominal hosts Dynamo defeated Moscow Region side Khimki 3-2, with ex-Sevilla and Zenit striker Alexander Kerzhakov finding the net for the second game in succession. The two sides currently share Khimki's ground while Dynamo's Petrovsky Park stadium undergoes extensive reconstruction.
Krilya Sovetov took all three points in their home match against Urals side Amkar, Czech giant Jan Koller striking from close range in the 59th minute.
The shock of the weekend however was Spartak Moscow's away loss to newly promoted Kuban, from the southern Russian city of Krasnodar.
Spartak wasted a chance to take the lead when new Brazilian signing Alex missed a penalty in the 20th minute before Malian striker Dramane Traore put the newcomers ahead 11 minutes later, the forward reacting first after Stipe Pletikosa in the Spartak goal could only push away a shot. Traore was denied a second goal when Pletikosa saved his spot-kick in the second-half.
"I had a serious conversation with the players in the dressing room after the game," ex-Spartak midfielder and current general director Valery Karpin told Sovetski Sport.
Zenit St. Petersburg recorded their first victory of the season with a 2-1 home win against Saturn, Turkish striker Fatah Tekke coming off the bench to bundle home the winner in the 66th minute. The match was played in an empty stadium after the Russian soccer authorities imposed a one-match ban on ticket sales over an offensive banner displayed by Zenit fans.
"It was tough," Zenit forward Pavel Pogrebnyak told the Sport Dyen Za Dnyem paper. "We are not used to playing without supporters. Even away from home we hear their support, to say nothing of home matches."
Last year's champions Rubin drew 0-0 away to Spartak Nalchik, while Lokomotiv Moscow scored in injury time to earn a 1-1 draw with newly promoted Rostov.
CSKA Moscow host Siberian side Tom Tomsk on Monday evening after which the Premier League takes a two-week break for theWorld Cup qualifying ties.
Russia face Azerbaijan at home on Saturday and Lichtenstein away on April 1. Both of the national team's overseas players, England-based Andrey Arshavin and Roman Pavlyuchenko, have been called up to the squad by Guus Hiddink. The Dutch trainer is also taking a break from the English Premier League, where he is temporarily coaching Roman Abramovich's Chelsea, to continue his bid to get Russia to next year's World Cup in South Africa.
RESULTS
Kuban 1-0 Spartak Moscow
Zenit 2-1 Saturn FC
Dynamo Moscow 3-2 Khimki
Spartak Nalchik 0-0 Rubin
Rostov 1-1 Lokomotiv Moscow
Moskva 0-0 Terek Grozny
Krilya Sovetov 1-0 Amkar
Table (two games played unless stated)
Dynamo Moscow - 6
Krilya Sovetov - 6
Rubin - 4
Zenit St. Petersburg - 4
Terek Grozny - 4
CSKA Moscow - 3 (one game)
Kuban - 3
Lokomotiv Moscow -2
Rostov - 2
Khimki - 1
Spartak Moscow - 1
Amkar - 1
FC Moskva - 1
Spartak Nalchik - 0
Tom Tomsk - 0 (one game)
Saturn - 0
