Sharifzyan Gabdurahmanovich Kazanbaev (russian: Шарифзян Габдурахманович Казанбаев; 1916 – 1 April 1944) was a

Tatar The Tatars ()Tatar
in the Collins English Dictionary is an umbrella term for different

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, after ...

sergeant major or

Starshina ( rus, старшина, p=stərʂɨˈna, a=Ru-старшина.ogg or in Ukrainian transliteration) is a senior non-commissioned rank or designation in the military forces of some Slavic states, and a historical military designation. In army ...

and posthumous

Hero of the Soviet Union The title Hero of the Soviet Union (russian: Герой Советского Союза, translit=Geroy Sovietskogo Soyuza) was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded together with the Order of Lenin personally or collectively for ...

. Kazanbaev was awarded the title posthumously for his actions in the Uman–Botoșani Offensive. Kazanbaev was mortally wounded saving his regiment's

colour Color (American English) or colour (British English) is the visual perceptual property deriving from the spectrum of light interacting with the photoreceptor cells of the eyes. Color categories and physical specifications of color are associ ...

Early life

Kazanbaev was born in 1916 in the village of Sarashi in Perm Governorate to a peasant family. After graduating from seventh grade and road masters courses in Sverdlovsk, he returned to Sarashi. He became the chairman of the village general store. In 1938, Kazanbaev was drafted into the

World War II

Kazanbaev fought in combat from 1941 and served with the

6th Guards Airborne Division The 6th Guards Airborne Division () was a Red Army airborne division that fought as infantry during World War II. Formed in December 1942 from an airborne corps, it first saw combat as an infantry unit in the Staraya Russa in March 1943, then foug ...

from its formation. In the spring of 1944, he was a squad leader in the Commandant's Platoon of the division's 14th Guards Airborne Regiment. Kazanbaev fought in the Uman-Botosani Offensive. On 31 March the regiment conducted a raid in the German rear, capturing Ciocîlteni village and blocking the road. The regiment held the highway and repulsed counterattacks by superior numbers of German troops. When the situation worsened and the German troops broke through to the outskirts of the village, the regiment's chief of staff ordered Kazanbaev and his squad to save the regimental colour. He led his squad to link up with advancing Soviet troops. They were attacked by German troops and a seriously wounded Kazanbaev was the only survivor. He buried the flag in the ground. When rescued by a cavalry patrol, Kazanbaev was able to tell an officer where the flag was. He died from his wounds shortly afterwards on 1 April.Irretrievable loss report, available online a
pamyatnaroda.mil.ru
/ref>Hero of the Soviet Union citation, available online a
pamyatnaroda.mil.ru
/ref> Kazanbaev was buried in Ciocîlteni. On 13 September 1944, Kazanbaev was posthumously awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union and the

Order of Lenin The Order of Lenin (russian: Орден Ленина, Orden Lenina, ), named after the leader of the Russian October Revolution, was established by the Central Executive Committee on April 6, 1930. The order was the highest civilian decoration b ...

Legacy

A street and a school in Sarashi are named for Kazanbaev. An obelisk dedicated to him was also erected in the village.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kazanbaev, Sharifzyan 1916 births 1944 deaths People from Perm Krai People from Osinsky Uyezd Tatar people from the Soviet Union Soviet military personnel killed in World War II Heroes of the Soviet Union Recipients of the Order of Lenin