Relegation playoffs pitting Russian Premier League strugglers against promotion hopefuls from the second division will kick off on May 17, the league said on Wednesday.
The Premier League's bottom two go down automatically at the end of the season, with the two teams finishing above them playing against the third- and fourth-placed clubs of the second division for a place in next season's top tier.
In a draw at league headquarters Wednesday, the Premier League teams will play the first leg at home, and the second leg away.
With five games remaining, bottom club Spartak Nalchik appear certainties for automatic relegation, eight points adrift.
The predicament of FC Tom Tomsk is only marginally better, six points behind FC Volga, who occupy the second relegation playoff place.
Krylya Sovetov are in the first relegation playoff place, but could extinguish a three-point gap to FC Rostov, whom they host on Sunday.
In the second division, Alania Vladikavkaz and Shinnik Yaroslavl are in third and fourth, respectively.
Mordovia and Nizhny Novgorod are a point apart at the top.
