 Salnikov's stepfather was arrested and sent to a labour camp in 1949.Salnikov, fearful for his health, made representations to have him transferred to an ordinary prison, and was allegedly told that it would help his case if he moved from Spartak to Dynamo Moscow.He joined Dynamo Moscow in 1950 and, although unhappy, was part of the first choice lineup between 1950 and 1954, making 113 appearances and scoring 29 goals.