A plaque to commemorate OMSBON fighters is restored on “VTB Arena Central Stadium “Dynamo” named after Lev Yashin”
On September 22, 2019, a solemn ceremony was held at the “VTB Arena – Central Stadium “Dynamo” to celebrate the restoration of the memorial plaque to commemorate the units of the NKVD Independent Motorized Infantry Brigade of Special Purpose of the USSR (OMSBON) formed at the stadium during the Great Patriotic War. Many top athletes of the Dynamo sports societies joined the combat units then.
The ceremony coincided with the 78th anniversary of the Battle of Moscow during the Great Patriotic War. The event was attended by Andrey Luntovsky, General Director of MC “Dynamo”, Yuri Belkin, General Director of FC “Dynamo” as well as OMSBON veterans and their relatives, representatives of historical societies, the Museum of the National Guard of Russia, and fans. The ceremony was opened by Yuri Stepanov, Chairman of the OMSBON Veterans Council.
The plaque was installed on the stadium façade in the Soviet era and dismantled during the reconstruction afterwards. Nowadays, the cooperation between MC “Dynamo” and FC “Dynamo” (Moscow) resulted in returning the artifact to the historical West Stands of the stadium.
The first OMSBON units were formed in the summer of 1941 at the Dynamo Stadium. Only the best athletes were selected: champions in boxing, gymnastics, biathlon and other sports. The OMSBON special forces units were subordinated directly to Stalin, Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the USSR Armed Forces, and the NKVD Intelligence Department authorities. The units mainly focused on covert operations, guerrilla warfare, and undercover and intelligence work on the Nazi-occupied territories. In addition to Soviet citizens, OMSBON included fighters from Spain, Czechia, Bulgaria, Romania, the United States, Vietnam and other countries.
Andrey Luntovsky said at the ceremony: “We have great respect for the centuries-old history of our stadium and are ready to do everything to keep the memory and educate our youth in traditions of our fathers and grandfathers.”
Yuri Belkin noted: “This is a major event for the entire Dynamo society. We must honor the memory of people who laid down their lives for our Motherland. I am glad to see many young people and schoolchildren at the ceremony; it means that our history will mean a lot to the next generations. Following the traditions is in the spirit of Dynamo. We are always stronger together.”
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