Dynamo: Triumph and Tragedy in Nazi-Occupied Kiev

by Andy Dougan

When Hitler initiated Operation Barbarossa in June 1941, he caught the Soviet Union completely by surprise. At breathtaking speed, his armies swept east, slaughtering the ill-prepared Soviet forces. His greatest military gains in all of World War II were made in these few short months, and the largest single country that he conquered was the Ukraine. Ukraine's capital, Kiev, was circled, assaulted, and overrun. Among the city's defenders who were captured and incarcerated were many of the members of the sparkling 1939 Dynamo Kiev football team, arguably the best squad in Europe before the war. Captured Kiev was a starving city whose population was deported in vast numbers as slave labor. However, one man was determined not just to save the surviving players from the Dynamo squad but other athletes as well. He offered them work, shelter, and-most valuable-bread, as workers in his bakery. Inspired by the charismatic goalkeeper Trusevich, the Dynamo squad was re-formed as Start FC, and a series of matches were arranged, all of which the team won handsomely, and to such an extent that they inspired Kievan spirits. The final match, however, against the Luftwaffe, was arranged by the German authorities. A well-fed team from the Fatherland would vanquish the upstart Ukrainians, especially since the game would be refereed by an S.S. officer. The match itself was an allegory of resistance, and its consequences were brutal.

In Dynamo Andy Dougan has discovered the truth behind a legendary encounter, sorting fact from fiction and restoring a moment of extraordinary poignancy and complex bravery to the center of World War II. The cliché is demonstrably Football is not a matter of life or death; it's much more important than that.

Genres: Football, History, Sports, Nonfiction, Ukraine, Soccer, War

243 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Greg D'Avis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story but kind of flatly told (in part because everyone involved is long dead).

[Tore Olsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Det er en sterk historie som utspiller seg i Kyiv under 2.verdenskrig. Ikke bare handler den om fotball, den gir et komplett bilde av Ukrainas historie og bakgrunnen for årsakene til at landet har vært attraktiv å innta med sin beliggenhet og enorme frodige spisskammer med et areal på størrelse med hele Frankrike.
Boken har en realistisk pg dokumentarisk fortellerstil og legger vekt på de grusomme hendelsene Kyivs befolkning ble utsatt for under krigen. Opp i alt bæres historien av fotballaget Start med base i et bakeri og sitt utspring fra Dynamo Kyiv.

[Irving Koppel · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Dynamo" is the name of a Kievan soccer team which came to symbolize the Russian resistance to
Nazi barbarism after the occupation of this Ukrainian historic city. Naturally,when your native city
has been occupied by a foreign power who is ruthless in suppressing the populace,the morale of the
inhabitants was crushed.

Then came a group of bakers who had played under the title of the Dynamo in pre-war Russia. They
were the catalyst through which the citizens of Kiev in spite of all their suffering were offered
the hope of better days to come. Little by little, through the example of the team's fighting,heroic
spirit,their fellow Kieveans began to lift their heads a bit higher. After the Dynamo defeated the
Luftwaffe team sent to play against them,thus giving the lie to the claim of "Aryan"superiority,the
Germans did their worse to the players. They were imprisoned,starved and worked to death. In spite of
their suffering ,they served as the example that sustained the Kievans until the final victory came
against their tormentors after a two year occupation.

One final remark-one need not be an afficianado of the sport of soccer to appreciate the message
of this well-reaearched and well-written account of how a people can endure in spite of the harshest
cruelties which can be visited upon them.

[Joel · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are a soccer fan, you likely have heard about the Death Match. I'm not a soccer fan, but I was touched by the story. This book is an in-depth look at the German occupation of Kiev during WWII and the local soccer team that defeated the "superior" Luftwaffe team twice in three days. The story is at once a touching tale of human resiliency and shocking statement on the horrors we are capable of if left unchecked. The book is about 240 pages and a quick read. I highly recommend it for everyone, sports fans or otherwise.

[Charlotte Patterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whilst not always explicitly about football, the book tells the tale of defiance, unbridled Pride and fight shown by Ukrainian during the German occupation. The Kievans were stuck between a rock and a hard place, with the mistreatment and massacres which took place from both the Nazis and the Soviets. Yet they stood united in their love for football and willingness to play even in dire circumstances, which resulted in serious consequences. A hard read due to the nature of war, but one which should nonetheless be read by everyone

[Matti Karjalainen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liverpoolin legendaarinen manageri Bill Shankly tuli aikanaan todenneeksi, ettei "jalkapallossa ole kyse elämästä ja kuolemasta, vaan jostakin paljon vakavammasta". Vuonna 1942 lause oli kirjaimellisesti totisinta totta, kun Kiovan Zenit-stadionilla kohtasivat Kiovan Dynamon ex-pelaajien muodostama Start ja saksalaisten miehittäjien huipuista koostuva Flakelf.

Andy Douganin "Kiovan Dynamon kunnia" (WSOY, 2002) on kiinnostava tietokirja Kiovan Dynamon joukkueesta, jonka seurahistorian kenties mielenkiintoisin ja samalla myös traagisin luku osuu toisen maailmansodan aikaisen saksalaismiehityksen päiviin.

Saksalaisten marssiessa Kiovaan jäi kaupunkiin useita paikallisen suurseuran Dynamon pelaajia, jotka urheilusta innostuneen liikemiehen suosiollisella avustuksella päätyivät töihin samaan leipomoon. Sodan keskellä jalkapallo heräsi uudelleen henkiin, ja pian leipomon oma, nyt Start-nimeä kantava joukkue alkoi kerätä nimeä kaatamalla vastustajan kuin vastustajan.

Siinä vaiheessa kun Start alkoi kaataa myös saksalaisten ja sen liittolaismaiden divisioonista koottuja joukkueita, onnistui se samalla valamaan kansallistuntoa ukrainalaisten keskuuteen. Se ei sanottavammin miellyttänyt miehittäjää, minkä seurauksena päätettiin järjestää edellämainittu ottelu.

Huikea tarina on monille jalkapallon ystäville tuttu, mutta usein yksinkertaistetumpana ja osin valheellisena versiona versiona, jonka katsottiin pitkään vastaavan paremmin Neuvostoliiton propagandan tarpeita.

Englantilainen Dougan käy "Kiovan Dynamon kunniassa" tapahtumat läpi yksityiskohtaisesti, niitä uusimman tutkimustiedon valossa puntaroiden, ja maalaa samalla hienoja henkilökuvia niin uhrautuvaisesti pelanneesta maalivahti Nikolai Trusevitsista, teknisellä taituruudellaan häikäisseestä, lapsenkasvoisesta Aleksei Klimenkosta ja niin ketteränä hyökkääjänä kuin pahamaineisena naistenmiehenä tunnetusta Konstantin Stsegotskista. Sankarimyyttejä ei luoda tai tapahtumia kaunistella, vaan kirjassa tuodaan esille myös muutamien Dynamon pelaajien tausta pahamaineisen NKVD:n palveluksessa sekä todetaan osan ryhtyneen saksalaisten ilmiantajiksi. Lukija saa myös hyvän katsauksen Ukrainan epäonniseen historiaan ja sisäpoliittisesti raastaviin vaiheisiin niin toista maailmansotaa edeltäneinä kuin sitä seuranneinakin vuosina.

[Joel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one's a Christmas gift I read before giving it to my Uncle Nat. Its the story of the Ukrainian footballers (soccer players) from the Kyiv Dynamo team that played a German military team during the Nazi occupation of Kyiv, and then were thrown in a concentration camp for beating the Germans.

The book gives a lot of background information on WWII in Ukraine (or "the Great Patriotic War" as the Soviets called it) and was a quick read--I think that the author is usually a sports writer for a Glasgow, Scotland newspaper.

Overall, I enjoyed it, and thought it would make a great gift for my sports-loving, history/politics nut uncle.

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

This account of the Nazi occupation of Kiev is utterly harrowing weaving the fascinating stories of some of the key players that played for FC Start. I found my self close to tears with elation when reading the inspiring account of FC Start's football games but also sickened when reading through how the Nazi's disposed of Kievian citizens. A balanced account and definitely worth a read for those that want a detailed account of how the Nazi's treated the Ukranians but also how inspirational sport can be in uniting a nation that was so impoverished.

[Ipswichblade · Rating 3 out of 5]

A not too long book about the footballers of Dynamo Kiev who played in the so called death match during the occupation of Kiev by the Germans in the second world war. Actually the football takes up quite a small part of the story which concentrates on the city of Kiev and the atrocities that went on.

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent read. Claims in the book are disputed elsewhere but interesting.

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great true story of resilience. Story of a soccer team in Kiev after the Nazis take over.

[Lars Børresen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very poor. The author does not seem to know much about WWII or football. Also, the players' lives and experiences are dealt with rather shoddily and superficially. Disappointing.

[Gregleddin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great story that is sadly written up in a bad book.

[Janice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dynamo dramatically shows why soccer is the world's game. The story of "The Death Match" told in context of Ukrainian history is a powerful narrative of a beautiful and brutal game.

[John M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting and disappointing in equal measure. The story of the former Dynamo Kiev players beating teams put forward by their German occupiers is the interesting, and mythical, part. These had been pro's and the teams put out against them were not. Their wins were not necessarily inevitable but they should not have been surprising either - that would not be fair on the players themselves. The circumstances they played in were something else - a period of terror, anxiety and sheer horror. Their wins brought some light relief to the people of Kiev but led to the players being incarcerated and, in some cases, killed as a result of their audacity in winning a game of football. Disappointing is Andy Dougan's writing style - at the beginning he makes a play of telling the reader not to confuse Ukrainians with Russians or Soviets but by the end has thoroughly confused himself and me by regularly mixing them up. Similarly his grasp of local politics is shakey and leads him to brand individuals as collaborators, traitors, nationalists and communists with very slim evidence. Most tellingly he repeats himself over and over which is annoying and detracts from the tale. That said this is an easy read and worth a few hours of your time if you like football and have an interest in WW2.

[Astrid · Rating 2 out of 5]

An interesting combination of football and history (even though I personally hate football).

Some elements seem to be more about how the author feels about the team / players than about documented facts (it's a bit too much of "the soccer players are the good guys and the others are the bad guys" despite one or more of them being involved with the NKVD, which can't really brag about having a good reputation.

That aside, it isn't as much bout football as I had feared, and it gives us a glimpse of what it was like to live in a reality where not bowing to your "masters" might mean death, weather instant or by more sneaky means.

[Hunter Prater · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting recount of life in Kiev under the nazis. The use of sport to keep morale up and the cost to the players was hard to imagine. Life in Kiev was terribly difficult during this 2 year span.

[Chris Etchingham · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the few books I’ve read more than once

[Tommy H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Veldig interessant og spennende bok. Gir mange sterke inntrykk, både om store og små ting om krigen, individer, psykologi og samhold.

[Megan Boyns · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good factual book about an under exposed and sad story. Something I will recommend others to read. Very easy to read and very straight to the point

[Menno Pot · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eigenlijk is de (Nederlandse) titel wat misleidend, want dit boek gaat eigenlijk maar zijdelings over Dynamo Kiev en eigenlijk ook niet over 'sterven voor de eer van het vaderland'.

Het gaat over het oorlogsleed van Kyiv: eerst als minderwaardig onderdrukt door Stalin - en daarna nog veel gruwelijker onderdrukt onder nazi-bezetting. In het bezette Kyiv bleef een groep topvoetballers (van Dynamo, maar ook Lokomotiv) voetballen, met de broodfabriek waar ze werkten als uitvalsbasis. Onder de naam FC Start speelden ze in de zomer van 1942 negen wedstrijden, hoofdzakelijk tegen elftallen van militairen van de bezettingsmacht (Hongaren, Roemenen, Duitsers).

FC Start was erg goed, versloeg de bezetters en werd voor voetbalminnend Kyiv een baken van hoop in gitzwarte tijden, en de spelers een soort verzetshelden. Omdat de kansen aan het Oostfront keerden (Stalingrad!) en de Duitsers op de terugtocht moesten, nam in Kyiv het verzet toe en in die sfeer kwamen het succes en de populariteit van FC Start de Duitsers toch wel erg slecht uit.

Dat culmineerde in augustus 1942 tot de wedstrijd die bekend is komen te staan als de 'Dodenwedstrijd', de 'Wedstrijd des Doods', waarbij FC Start een team van de Duitse Luftwaffe (Flakelf geheten) versloeg. Niet veel later werden de spelers van FC Start opgepakt en naar een gevreesd kamp afgevoerd, waar een aantal van hen tijdens een repressailleronde werden doodgeschoten.

De 'Dodenwedstrijd' werd een mythe en is na de oorlog veel beschreven en een paar keer verfilmd, onder meer losjes in de Hollywoodkraker 'Escape to Victory' met onder meer Pelé (en de ex-Ajacied Co Prins!).

Die versies van het verhaal hebben weinig met de werkelijkheid van doen, door dichterlijke vrijheden, maar ook omdat ze uitgingen van een versie van het verhaal die sowieso al een mythe was, namelijk de mythe die de Sovjet-autoriteiten na de oorlog hielpen propageren, met FC Start als dapper Sovjet-team dat werd geïntimideerd en bedreigd door de nazi's, maar bleef winnen voor de eer van de USSR -en dat moest bekopen met standrechtelijke executie direct na de gewonnen wedstrijd.

Zo was het niet. Andy Dougan maakt mooi inzichtelijk hoe het wél was. Alleen in de wat lange en soms ook wat rommelige aanloop én het korte slothoofdstuk legt hij werkelijke verbanden met Dynamo Kyiv en de rol die FC Start in de clubgeschiedenis inneemt.

Boeiend verhaal, maar toch geef ik het boek 'slechts' drie sterren: een beetje aftrek voor de wat langdradige historische inleiding, een beetje aftrek voor de ietwat stijve Nederlandse vertaling en een beetje aftrek voor het feit dat een heel interessant aspect van het verhaal (namelijk hoe de Sovjet-autoriteiten de 'Dodenwedstrijd' gebruikten in hun propaganda) weer heel snel wordt afgeraffeld aan het einde. Dat had dan weer wat uitgebreider gemogen.

In zijn nawoordje schrijft Dougan dat hij een paar 'heel erg slechte versies' van het boek inleverde voordat hij de definitieve vorm vond. Gek genoeg voel ik dat wel een beetje tijdens het lezen: dat hij moest worstelen. Uiteindelijk is het een boeiend boek geworden. Niet fantastisch of geweldig, maar 'gewoon' goed.

[Mr · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good book about the successful Dynamo Kiev team of the 1930/40s who mostly came back to play together as part of a new team in German-occupied Kiev.

There is a lot of background to the conflict on the Eastern as well as a number of eye-witness accounts regarding life under German occupation.

A fascinating book for lovers of football and history