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Bauyrzhan Momyshuly, also spelled Baurjan Momish-UliWhile publications of the Kazakh government use the first version, all the English translations of
Alexander Bek Alexander Alfredovich Bek (; 2 November 1972), sometimes transliterated from the Russian Cyrillic as Aleksandr Bek or Anglicized to Alexander Beck, was a Soviet novelist and writer. Biography Alexander Bek was born on 3 January 1903. The son of a ...
's books use the second.
(, ''Bawırjan Momışulı'';
Russified Russification (), Russianisation or Russianization, is a form of cultural assimilation in which non-Russians adopt Russian culture and Russian language either voluntarily or as a result of a deliberate state policy. Russification was at times ...
: ''Бауыржан Момышулы''; – 10 June 1982) was a Kazakh-
Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
military officer and author, posthumously awarded with the titles
Hero of the Soviet Union The title Hero of the Soviet Union () was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded together with the Order of Lenin personally or collectively for heroic feats in service to the Soviet state and society. The title was awarded both ...
and People's Hero of Kazakhstan.


Biography


Early life

Bauyrzhan was born in Orak Balga, a now abandoned
Aul An aul; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; (; ) is a type of fortified village or town found throughout the Caucasus and Central Asia. They are generally built out of stone, on faces of ridges or against cliffs in order to provide protection against su ...
in the modern Jualy District in southern
Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a landlocked country primarily in Central Asia, with a European Kazakhstan, small portion in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the Kazakhstan–Russia border, north and west, China to th ...
, to a family of nomadic herders from the
Dulat The Dughlat clan (; Mongolian: '' Dolood/sevens, Doloo/seven; Middle Mongolian: Doluga, Dolugad''; Dulğat; ) was a Mongol (later Turko-Mongol) clan that served the Chagatai khans as hereditary vassal rulers of several cities in western Tarim Ba ...
tribe. He lived with his relatives until the age of thirteen, but spent his teenage years in Soviet boarding schools. After completing his secondary education in 1929, he worked as a teacher, a secretary of a district committee and as an assistant-prosecutor. He was later employed as a department chief in the
Kazakh ASSR The Kazakh Autonomous Socialist Soviet Republic (; ), abbreviated as Kazak ASSR (; ) and simply Kazakhstan (; ), was an autonomous republic of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR) within the Soviet Union (from 1922) which exis ...
's Central Agency for Economic Planning. In November 1932, Bauyrzhan was conscripted for a two-year service in the
Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...
, and posted as a cadet in the 14th Mountain Infantry Regiment. After his discharge, he studied a course in economics in the
Leningrad Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...
Institute of Finance and worked in the Kazakh branch of the Commercial-Industrial Soviet State Bank.Kadyrzhan Smagulov
''Legendary Son of the Kazakh People, Bauyrzhan Momyshuly.''
Kazinform, 4 March 2009.


Military career

On 25 March 1936, Bauyrzhan was again called for military service, becoming a platoon commander in the
Central Asian Military District The Red Banner Central Asian Military District was a military district of the Soviet Armed Forces, which existed in 1926–1945 and 1969–1989, with its headquarters at Tashkent (1926–1945) and Almaty (1969–1989). By USSR Order No.304 of 4 ...
's 315th Regiment. He remained in the military for the next two decades. In March 1937, the regiment was transferred to the
Far Eastern Front The Far Eastern Front (Russian: Дальневосточный фронт) was a front — a level of military formation that is equivalent to army group — of the Red Army during the Second World War. Early war service Тhe Far Eastern Front wa ...
in
Siberia Siberia ( ; , ) is an extensive geographical region comprising all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has formed a part of the sovereign territory of Russia and its predecessor states ...
. While not subject to repression during the
Great Purge The Great Purge, or the Great Terror (), also known as the Year of '37 () and the Yezhovshchina ( , ), was a political purge in the Soviet Union that took place from 1936 to 1938. After the Assassination of Sergei Kirov, assassination of ...
, the remark "unreliable, with extreme nationalist views" was inscribed in his personal dossier in 1937. His biographer, Mekemtas Myrzakhmetov, believed this happened because Bauyrzhan was known to read the poetry of Magzhan Zhumabayev and works of other authors associated with the Alash Orda. In 1939, Bauyrzhan was assigned to command the 105th Infantry Division's artillery. From February 1940, he headed the 202nd Independent Anti-Tank Battalion, based in
Zhytomyr Zhytomyr ( ; see #Names, below for other names) is a city in the north of the western half of Ukraine. It is the Capital city, administrative center of Zhytomyr Oblast (Oblast, province), as well as the administrative center of the surrounding ...
. In January the following year, Lieutenant Bauyrzhan returned to Kazakhstan, serving in
Alma-Ata Almaty, formerly Alma-Ata, is the largest city in Kazakhstan, with a population exceeding two million residents within its metropolitan area. Located in the foothills of the Trans-Ili Alatau mountains in southern Kazakhstan, near the border wi ...
's
military commissariat A military commissariat (from , shortened as ), is an institution that is part of military service or law enforcement mechanisms in some European countries. As part of the British Army in the 19th century, military commissariats were used for ...
. When Germany invaded the Soviet Union on 22 June, he was appointed a battalion commander –
Kombat Kombat is a mine and its associated List of villages and settlements in Namibia, settlement at the southern margin of the Otavi Mountain Range in northern Namibia. It is situated East of Otavi on the B8 road (Namibia), B8 to Grootfontein. Komba ...
– in the 1073rd Regiment of the newly formed
316th Rifle Division The 316th Rifle Division was formed as a Red Army division during World War II. The division was initially formed in July 1941, renamed the 8th Guards Rifle Division on 18 November 1941. The division was recreated at Vjasniki in July 1942, fough ...
, headed by the military commissar of the
Kirghiz SSR The Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic (Kirghiz SSR), also known as the Kyrgyz Soviet Socialist Republic (Kyrgyz SSR), KySSR or Kirgiz Soviet Socialist Republic (Kirgiz SSR), was one of the constituent republics of the Soviet Union (USSR) from 1 ...
, Major General
Ivan Panfilov Ivan Vasilyevich Panfilov (; – 18 November 1941) was a Soviet Union, Soviet general and a posthumous Hero of the Soviet Union, known for his command of the 8th Guards Rifle Division, 316th Rifle Division during the Battle of Moscow, defense of ...
.


World War II

In September 1941, the division was sent to the front in Malaya Vishera, at the vicinity of Leningrad. During October, as the
Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the German Army (1935–1945), ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmac ...
advanced on Moscow, the 316th – now part of General
Konstantin Rokossovsky Konstantin Konstantinovich Rokossovsky ( 1896 – 3 August 1968) was a Soviet and Polish general who served as a top commander in the Red Army during World War II and achieved the ranks of Marshal of the Soviet Union and Marshal of Poland. He a ...
's 16th Army – was transferred to the theater and tasked with defending the highway passing through the city of
Volokolamsk Volokolamsk () is a town and the administrative center of Volokolamsky District in Moscow Oblast, Russia, located on the Gorodenka River, not far from its confluence with the Lama River, northwest of Moscow. Population: 25,729 (2024 Estimate ...
and the surrounding area. Bauyrzhan's battalion was assigned an eight-kilometer-long sector along the Ruza River; Senior Lieutenant Bauyrzhan took part in 27 engagements during the defense of the Soviet capital. From 16 to 18 November, he and his unit were cut off from the rest of the division in the village of Matryonino, yet managed to hold off the German forces and eventually broke out back to their lines. For its performances, the 316th was awarded the status of a Guards formation on 23 November, and named the Panfilov 8th Guards Rifle Division in honor of its fallen commander, who was killed in action on 18 November. In late November, Bauyrzhan was promoted to the rank of captain. Bauyrzhan participated in the Soviet counter-offensive and was severely wounded on 5 December, though he declined to be evacuated to receive treatment. In March 1942, war correspondent
Alexander Bek Alexander Alfredovich Bek (; 2 November 1972), sometimes transliterated from the Russian Cyrillic as Aleksandr Bek or Anglicized to Alexander Beck, was a Soviet novelist and writer. Biography Alexander Bek was born on 3 January 1903. The son of a ...
arrived in the 8th Guards Division. During the spring of that year, Bek convinced Bauyrzhan, who was reluctant at first, to cooperate with him in writing a novel about the fighting in
Volokolamsk Volokolamsk () is a town and the administrative center of Volokolamsky District in Moscow Oblast, Russia, located on the Gorodenka River, not far from its confluence with the Lama River, northwest of Moscow. Population: 25,729 (2024 Estimate ...
, which would eventually be published in 1944 under the title ''
Volokolamsk Highway ''Volokolamsk Highway'' (Russian: ''Волоколамское шоссе'') is a novel written by Alexandr Bek, published in Russian in 1944, with later translations into English, Hebrew, Spanish, Chinese, German and many other languages during ...
''. Bauyrzhan strongly disapproved of Bek's book, which he claimed to be an unrealistic depiction of events, and criticized the author relentlessly for the remainder of his life. In April 1942, his commanding officer approved his promotion to the rank of major. In August 1942, his superiors had submitted a highly positive report on his conduct, and he was recommended to be awarded the title
Hero of the Soviet Union The title Hero of the Soviet Union () was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded together with the Order of Lenin personally or collectively for heroic feats in service to the Soviet state and society. The title was awarded both ...
. The proposal was rejected. The poet Mikhail Isinaliev, a friend of Bauyrzhan, wrote that a former political officer from the 8th Guards told him that this was due to his Kazakh patriotism, which was regarded as dangerous nationalism by the unit's commissars. Bauyrzhan joined the Communist Party during the same year. In October, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel. After eight months, he became a colonel.Mikhail Isinaliev
Baurzhan Momyshuly.
isinaliev.kz/
During 1943, due to the effects of his old injury, he was forced to rest in a hospital for a prolonged period. After being released from the hospital in March 1944, he underwent an advanced officers' course in the
Voroshilov Academy The Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation () is the senior staff college of the Russian Armed Forces. The academy is located in Moscow, on 14 Kholzunova Lane. It was founded in 1936 as a Soviet ins ...
. On 21 January 1945, Colonel Baurzhan Bauyrzhan was appointed as the commander of the 9th Guards Rifle Division, a unit of the
2nd Guards Rifle Corps The 2nd Guards Rifle Corps () was a rifle corps of the Red Army during World War II. World War II The 2nd Guards Rifle Corps headquarters was formed by a Stavka order of 31 December 1941. The corps headquarters was formed in the area of Nakhab ...
in the
1st Baltic Front The First Baltic Front ( Russian: Пéрвый Прибалтийский фронт) was a major formation of the Red Army during the Second World War. It was commanded by Army General Andrey Yeryomenko, succeeded by Army General Bagramyan. It ...
's
6th Guards Army The 6th Guards Army was a Soviet Guards formation which fought against Nazi Germany during World War II under the command of General Ivan Chistyakov. The Army's chief of staff was General Valentin Antonovich Penkovskii. The 6th Guards Army was ...
. The 9th participated in the East Prussian offensive, taking fifteen towns near the city of Priekule. After the war ended, Bauyrzhan was awarded the
Order of Lenin The Order of Lenin (, ) was an award named after Vladimir Lenin, the leader of the October Revolution. It was established by the Central Executive Committee on 6 April 1930. The order was the highest civilian decoration bestowed by the Soviet ...
.


Post-war years

In 1946, Bauyrzhan entered the Voroshilov Academy again. On 16 June 1948, the
Kazakh SSR The Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic, also known as Soviet Kazakhstan, the Kazakh SSR, KSSR, or simply Kazakhstan, was one of the transcontinental constituent republics of the Soviet Union (USSR) from 1936 to 1991. Located in northern Centr ...
's Council of Ministers appointed him as chief of the republic's Voluntary Society for Cooperation with the Armed Forces, while he still served in the military. In late 1948, he became deputy commander of the 49th Independent Infantry Brigade in the East Siberian Military District. From 1950, he served as a senior lecturer in the Red Army's Military Academy of Logistics and Transport. According to Myrzakhmetov, he was the only one of the 500 officers who graduated with him to never receive the rank of a General; the author claimed this was due to a political decision to deny
Turkic people Turkic peoples are a collection of diverse ethnic groups of West Asia, West, Central Asia, Central, East Asia, East, and North Asia as well as parts of Europe, who speak Turkic languages.. "Turkic peoples, any of various peoples whose members ...
a high status in the Soviet Armed Forces. In 1955, Colonel Bauyrzhan retired from the army due an illness. He turned to a literary career,''Authors of Kazakhstan: Baurzhan Momyshuly''
. lit.kz
writing several novels as well as books about his wartime experiences. He was also a lecturer in the
Kazakhstan Academy of Sciences The Kazakhstan Academy of Sciences (official name National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan) is the highest scientific organization of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The Academy of Sciences was founded on 1 June 1946 on the basis of ...
. In 1963, at the invitation of
Raúl Castro Raúl Modesto Castro Ruz ( ; ; born 3 June 1931) is a Cuban retired politician and general who served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba, first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba, the most senior position in the One-par ...
, Colonel Bauyrzhan travelled to Cuba, where he lectured members of the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces on tactics. Bauyrzhan is mainly known due his appearance in Bek's ''
Volokolamsk Highway ''Volokolamsk Highway'' (Russian: ''Волоколамское шоссе'') is a novel written by Alexandr Bek, published in Russian in 1944, with later translations into English, Hebrew, Spanish, Chinese, German and many other languages during ...
''. The author wrote two sequels, ''Several Days'' and ''General Panfilov's Reserve''. The series gained international, as well as Soviet, recognition. Bauyrzhan's book about the 1941 battles in Volokolamsk, ''Moscow is Behind Us'', was adapted to cinema during 1967. In 1976, he won the Kazakh SSR's
Abai Qunanbaiuly Abai Qūnanbaiūly () was a Kazakh poet, composer and Hanafi Maturidi theologian philosopher. He was also a cultural reformer toward European and Russian cultures on the basis of enlightened Islam. Early life and education Abai was born in K ...
State Prize for his autobiography, ''Our Family''. Bauyrzhan opposed the Brezhnevite establishment's exaltation of the battle of
Malaya Zemlya Malaya Zemlya (, lit. "Small Land") was a Soviet uphill outpost on Cape Myskhako (), situated westward from Tsemes Bay on the Black Sea, that was recaptured after battles with the Germans during the Battle of the Caucasus on the night of 4 Febru ...
; according to his son and biographer, Bahytzhan, his position made him powerful enemies in the state apparatus, and nullified his chances to receive the title Hero of the Soviet Union while alive. When Isinaliev approached
Dinmukhamed Kunaev Dinmukhamed Akhmetuly "Dimash" Kunaev (also spelled Kunayev; , ; – 22 August 1993) was a Kazakh Soviet communist politicianVronskaya, Jeanne (24 August 1993"Obituary: Dinmukhamed Kunayev" ''The Independent'' London, Gazette Section, p. 18. w ...
and requested him to arrange for Bauyrzhan to become one such, the First Secretary replied that as long as General
Alexei Yepishev Alexei Alexeyevich Yepishev, also spelled Epishev (Russian: ''Алексей Алексеевич Епишев''; – September 15, 1985) was a Soviet Army General, politician and diplomat. He served as the Chief of the Main Political Directorate ...
was the head of the Red Army's Main Political Directorate, the decoration would never be bestowed. Bahytzhan also recalled that in his later years, his father – who was a "loosely practicing Muslim" all his life – turned to
Sufism Sufism ( or ) is a mysticism, mystic body of religious practice found within Islam which is characterized by a focus on Islamic Tazkiyah, purification, spirituality, ritualism, and Asceticism#Islam, asceticism. Practitioners of Sufism are r ...
. Bauyrzhan died in 1982 and was buried in Alma-Ata. Shortly before the collapse of the USSR, the chief of the Kazakh Supreme Soviet,
Nursultan Nazarbayev Nursultan Abishuly Nazarbayev (born 6 July 1940) is a Kazakhstani politician who served as the first president of Kazakhstan from 1991 to 2019. He also held the special title of Elbasy from 2010 to 2022 and chairman of the Security Council of ...
, had managed to convince the authorities in Moscow to posthumously grant Bauyrzhan the country's highest military honor, and he was declared a Hero of the Soviet Union on 11 December 1990. After the republic became independent, he was also made a
Hero of Kazakhstan The title of People's Hero of Kazakhstan () is the highest distinction conferred by the Republic of Kazakhstan, along with the Order of the Golden Eagle. Overview According to the Law on State Awards of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the honor would ...
. The capital of his native Jualy District, Bauyrzhan Momyshuly, is named after him. The Almaty Zhas Ulan Republican School is also named in his honor. Today, the Center for Bauyrzhan Studies is located at the Taraz State Pedagogical Institute in
Taraz Taraz ( ; also historically known as Talas) is a city and the administrative center of Jambyl Region in Kazakhstan, located on the Talas (river), Talas (Taraz) River in the south of the country near the border with Kyrgyzstan. It had a populatio ...
, Kazakhstan. The Center is home to a wide variety of Russian and Kazakh sources on the life and times of Bauyrzhan Momyshuly. On 26 November 2022, the Military Unit 5571 of the
National Guard of Kazakhstan The National Guard of the Republic of Kazakhstan (, ''Qazaqstan Respublikasynyñ Ūlttyq ūlany'', ) is the internal military force of Kazakhstan. The National Guard performs the military and civilian functions of the Internal Troops of Kazakhstan ...
in the center of
Almaty Almaty, formerly Alma-Ata, is the List of most populous cities in Kazakhstan, largest city in Kazakhstan, with a population exceeding two million residents within its metropolitan area. Located in the foothills of the Trans-Ili Alatau mountains ...
was named after Bauyrzhan.


Books

*''Moscow Behind Us'' ( «За нами Москва») *''Our General, Ivan Panfilov'' («Наш генерал») *''One Night's Tale'' («История одной ночи») *''Our Family'' (, ) *''The Officer's Diary'' («Дневник офицера») *''Psychology of War: Part 1'' («Психология войны: 1 часть») *''Psychology of War: Part 2'' («Психология войны: 2 часть») *''Meetings in Cuba'' («Кубинские встречи»)


Media

Bauyrzhan Bauyrzhan has been depicted by the following actors in film and television productions: * Asanbek Umuraliyev in the 1968 picture ''Moscow is Behind Us.'' * Boris Scherbakov in the 1984 TV mini-series ''Volokolamsk Highway''. In 2010, Kazakhfilm Studio released the documentary ''Legendary Bauyrzhan'' («Қазақтың Бауыржаны»), directed by Kalila Umarov. In 2013, released TV mini-series named "Bauyrzhan Momyshuly" by famous director of Kazakhstan
Akan Satayev Akan Satayev (, born December 23, 1971) is a Kazakhstani film director, actor, screenwriter and producer. Honored Worker of Kazakhstan and laureate of State Award of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Biography Akan was born to a family of actors, bot ...
.


See also

* List of Kazakh Heroes of the Soviet Union


References


Annotations


External links


An article about Bauyrzhan's 100th anniversary celebrations.An article on the 2010 Kazakh documentary film ''Bauyrzhan Momyshuly''.
*, on director Kalila Umarov's YouTube channel. {{DEFAULTSORT:Momyshuly, Bauyrzhan 1910 births 1982 deaths People from Jambyl Region People from Syr-Darya Oblast Communist Party of the Soviet Union members Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union alumni Heroes of Kazakhstan Heroes of the Soviet Union Recipients of the Order of the Badge of Honour Recipients of the Order of Friendship of Peoples Recipients of the Order of Lenin Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner of Labour Recipients of the Order of the Red Star Dughlats Kazakh-language writers Kazakhstani male writers Kazakhstani military personnel Soviet colonels Soviet male writers Soviet military personnel of World War II Soviet Muslims Muslims from the Russian Empire