Victory day celebrations hold special meaning for Russia's former sports stars, with many athletes having been among the first volunteers to join the war. Dinamo sports club in particular supplied plenty of heroes.

In the first days of the war, Russia's national defence committee formed a special brigade to establish intelligence, subversive and combat activities behind the enemy line.

National and international world record holders and regular athletes from the Dinamo sports club were the majority in the first wave of volunteers.

Over the course of the war the special motor-rifle brigade killed tens of thousands of Nazi soldiers, destroyed hundreds of kilometers of railway and enemy telephone cables, to name just a few of their successful actions.

Once a year, in May, the central Dinamo stadium becomes a place of mourning and remembrance for the decreasing number of world war two veterans.

Heroes put on their finest dress uniforms heavy with medals and reminisce about lost comrades and the battles.