Rakhymzhan Koshkarbaev's feat recognized after 62 years

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ANA. September 29. KAZINFORM - The history of the people of Kazakhstan has a lot of hard periods. The political game of the totalitarian regime did not pass without trace. One of the difficult periods of our history associated with. More than 650 thousand Kazakhs did not return from the bloodshed of the Great Civil War unleashed by Hitler's obsessive desire to create supreme Aryan race. For bravery and courage 500 Kazakh soldiers and officers were awarded the title of the Soviet Union Hero, 98 of them were Kazakhs. The heroism, courage and valor of soldiers will remain in eternal memory of all generations.


 The bloody machine of war killed thousands of human lives. In the years of Soviet power and dominion of totalitarianism, many pages of our common history have been distorted.

After declaration of independence, several decades later, we open up previously unknown facts. It is pity to call in this series unfairly and deliberately forgotten the gallant feat of the son of the Kazakh people - Rakhymzhan Koshkarbayev.

The exploit of a Soviet officer, having hoisted the banner of his division over the Reichstag had been long silenced in favor of the existing policy.

The "Turkistan" newspaper wrote about this in the article by Adyrbekuly K.: "The truth will not be concealed. Heroic deed of R. Koshkarbayev was officially recognized only after 62 years. The attempts to restore justice were made in the past. Veterans of the Great War were invited to the 20th anniversary celebration of the Great Victory in Moscow. Among them was R. Koshkarbaev. When the Georgians Kantaria took out 150 division's flag that was hoisted over the Reichstag Koshkarbaev said for all to hear: "I was the first who hoisted the victory flag". Eyewitnesses to the event confirm this.

The ohoto of R. Koshkarbayev with the flag among fellow soldiers is kept to this day.

Another interesting story happened in 1962 in one of the Yalta sanatorium, where veteran of the Great Patriotic War Zeken Temirgaliev rested. Holiday-makers were taken to the museum of Stavropol. During the tour guide showed the photograph of Kantaria and Yegorov as the fighters, who the first hoisted Soviet banner over the Reichstag. And the veteran of Uralsk Tashkenbaev indignantly replied guide: "This information is incorrect. Rakhymzhan Koshkarbaev and Gregory Bolatov were the first who raised the flag over the Reichstag. At that time I headed the department connection of 150th division. On April 30 the division commander, General Shatalov reported to the commander of the First Belorussian Front that Koshkarbaev R. and G. Bolatov hoisted the Soviet banner over the Reichstag. Zhukov was angry: "Why did some Asians do that? Tomorrow Georgians and Russian must raise the colours."

The next day, May 1, when it was calm, Germans resigned to surrender, Kantaria and Egorov, easily passed by the Reichstag and raised the colours. This was done on purpose.

 

However, the newspapers of that time wrote about heroism of Koshkarbayev and Bolatov. They got over 300 meters to fascist jack - Reichstag, under a rain of bullets and incessant fire of batteries for 7,5 hours. After reaching the building, Gregory climbed on the shoulders of Rakhymzhan and hoisted the flag - a symbol of victory. It was a feat - to pass under mortal danger and raise the flag right under enemy's nose.

 

The famous Soviet writer Boris Gorbatov in his book "Hero of the storming of Berlin, wrote:" It's time to put an end to comparing our soldiers with eagles and golden eagles. What eagle or golden eagle can be compared with Kazakh Koshkarbayev, who hoisted the Colours of Victory over the Reichstag, in spite of the strong, heavy fire of the Germans?

Interesting facts are given in №26 "Kazakh adebieti" newspaper for April 2006: "New York Times" May 1,1945 published the news under the headline "The Soviet flag flies over the Reichstag." And the article ends like this: "The Soviet troops captured Berlin and hoisted their flag on the Reichstag yesterday." But the newspaper make up in advance, before the release of the previous day. So we can safely say that the Americans have written about the 30 May Day - when the flag appeared in the Reichstag by Koshkarbayev and Bolatov. While Soviet publications have begun to cover this event only on May 3.

 

In 2004, the publishing house "Zhibek Zholy" published a collection of memories" Rakhymzhan Koshkarbaev hoisted the banner of the Reichstag". One of the authors of the book, writer-soldier Azilhan Nurshayykov indicates that for the commission of a feat Koshkarbaev and Bolatov were presented to the rank of Hero of the Soviet Union. However, due to crafty, hypocritical policy of the state award was given to Egorov and Kantaria.

 

In search of justice, Kazakhs made another attempt. On the eve of the 60th anniversary of the Kazakh SSR letter with signatures of war and labor veterans was sent to the Supreme Soviet of the USSR - L. Brezhnev.The first secretary of the Communist Party of Kazakhstan D.Kunaev was asked to talk to him personally and to remind Gold Star R. Koshkarbayev. The result of the conversation is unknown. Leonid Brezhnev took part in the celebration of the anniversary of the Republic. When he received the letter he said: "Now we will never return to the topic of war".

 Rakhymzhan Koshkarbaev is a hero, whose heroism appreciated only after his death. He was born in Akmola region in 1924. In 1942 he was mobilized and fought to victory. In 1964-1967 years, he worked in the Akmola region. He was an inspector in the Immigration Department at the Council of Ministers. Since 1967 he headed the team of well-known hotel "Almaty".R. Koshkarbaev was awarded  the Order of the Red Banner, Order of the Great Patriotic War 1 degree, medals "For the capture of Berlin", "For the liberation of Warsaw. His feat on the Reichstag is marked with the Order of the Red Banner. In 2001, he was awarded the title "Halyk Kakharmany" posthumously.

 

 

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