Sergei Solovyov

Sergei Solovyov was born on March 9, 1915, in the city of Sokol in the Vologda province. He began his football career in factory teams. Even then, Solovyov's talent was evident, as was his ability to take the lead in a team and his desire not to let his teammates down.

In 1937, he was drafted into the army, but he did not forget about his football skills during his service and often played for the Leningrad Military District team.

When Solovyov turned 24, he was invited to the Dynamo Leningrad. He doubted for a long time whether to leave his native Sokol, where he was born, graduated from school, received a profession and had a stable job at the factory.

In the end, Sergei Aleksandrovich decided to move and got a ticket to big football. A year later, he moved to Dynamo Moscow, where he made his debut on May 5, 1940. Solovyov was extremely useful in Dynamo's tactical formations, regularly providing his partners with goal passes. And Mikhail Yakushin found the best use for his talents.

In 1940, Solovyov scored 21 goals in 23 matches, becoming the championship's top scorer. After the war, he continued to attack the opponents' goal with the same efficiency. In 1948, he hit the opponents' goal 26 times, and in a match with Torpedo, he set a record: within three minutes Sergei Aleksandrovich scored a hat-trick.

Compared to his famous teammates, Solovyov was less technically skilled, but he was always the team's real motor, inexhaustible and giving his all on the field. He had a keen sense of when to dash to the goal, and once he received the ball, he was practically unstoppable. He had a strong and powerful kick with both feet.

Sergei Aleksandrovich's achievements at Dynamo speak for themselves - three-time USSR champion (1940, 1945 and 1949), winner of silver (1946, 1947, 1948 and 1950) and bronze medals (1952). He played 233 matches for Dynamo and scored 152 goals, which remains the best result in history.

- I was captivated by his determination, temperament, love, but not selfish, for the ball, - recalled Konstantin Beskov. - Having received a pass, I always looked around - where is Solovyov? This does not mean, of course, that I gave him preference over other partners if they were in a more advantageous position. But I knew that he had an amazing sense for scoring situations, that he skillfully covered the ball with his body even at speed, and throwing him into a breakthrough was a pleasure. Like no one else, Sergei could effectively put an end to an attack.

In addition to his football successes, Sergei Solovyov played bandy remarkably well, and his powerful throws, especially with his right hand, and sharp jerks made him one of the best hockey forwards in the country. In this sport, he won gold medals in the championships of 1951 and 1952. He was one of the pioneers of ice hockey in the country, becoming the USSR champion in 1947.

"Dynamo Constellation" is a unique project launched on the day of Alexey Khomich's 100th anniversary in March 2020. Based on the results of the fan vote, the final roster of 11 outstanding Dynamo players was formed. During 2020 and 2021, 11 stars included in the constellation were named after legendary Dynamo football players: Alexei Khomich, Lev Yashin, Mikhail Yakushin, Konstantin Beskov, Mikhail Semichastniy, Igor Chislenko, Sergei Solovyov, Valeriy Maslov, Viktor Tsarev, Igor Dobrovolskiy and Alexander Novikov.