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World War II in Ukraine:

Dynamo versus Germany: Soccer Match of Death
by
Andrew Gregorovich

Dynamo versus Germany: Soccer Match of Death

The incredible story of the Dynamo soccer club of

Kiev, one of Europe's finest, is one of the legendary
events of WW II. After Kiev was occupied members
of the Dynamo team found work in Kiev Bakery No.
1 and started to play soccer in an empty lot. The
Germans offered them the opportunity to train in
the Zenith Stadium and then suggested a "friendly"
game with a team picked from the German army.

The Ukrainians accepted the offer, named their

team Start and posters on June 12, 1942
announced: "Football [Soccer]. Armed Forces of
Germany versus Kiev city Start." The Germans, in
good physical shape, scored the first goal. Then
Dynamo gained its strength and scored a goal. The
Monument in front of Dynamo old talent of Dynamo started to grow and they
Stadium in Kiev to Ukrainian soccer scored a second goal to the enthusiastic cheers of
players executed by the Germans the Ukrainian spectators. The Germans were
in Babyn Yar; Ivan Kuzmenko, furious.
Mykola Trusevich, Olexiy Klimenko
and Mykola Korotkikh. Makar At half time a German officer came from the
Honcharenko was a survivor. There Commandant's box to the Dynamo dressing room
are different versions of the Death and ordered them "not to play so keenly" and
Match, we followed Kuznetsov's threatened that they would be shot if they do not
version in Babi Yar. obey. The fans, completely unaware that the lives
of Dynamo were threatened, cheered them on to a
score of 4-1 when suddenly the German
Commandant of Kiev, Major-General Eberhardt,
and his staff left. The referee's whistle ended the
game before it was finished.
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The Germans then fielded a stronger team on July

17 but it lost 6-0. Two days later Dynamo had a
match with the Hungarian team MSG Wal and
Dynamo defeated them 5-1 and a rematch on the
26th ended with a score 3-2 for Dynamo. The
German administration was outraged and decided
that they had to teach the Dynamo Untermensch a
lesson. The powerful and "ever victorious" German
Flakelf team was invited. But this German team
also lost to Dynamo and not a word about it
appeared in the newspapers.

The Ukrainian team was given three days to think

about their position and on August 9th there was a
"friendly" rematch. In spite of the pressure Dynamo
again in its fifth game defeated the German team --
for the last time. Most of the Ukrainian team
members were arrested and executed in Babyn
Yar, but they are not forgotten. There is a
monument to them in Kiev and their heroism
inspired the film Victory starring Sylvester Stallone
and Pele.

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Return to FORUM: A Ukrainian Review Page

Copyright © 1995 Andrew Gregorovich

Reprinted from FORUM Ukrainian Review No. 92, Spring 1995

since March 1st 1997