Kursiv Kazakhstan · সাধারণ

New interactive infographic tracks People’s Heroes of Kazakhstan

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Collage by Kursiv.media, photo editor: Dastan Shanay

As Kazakhstan recently celebrated Republic Day, we look back at a holiday tradition: the presentation of state awards to distinguished citizens. Among these honors, the title of «Halyk Kaharmany» («People’s Hero») holds a special place as one of the country’s highest distinctions. Kursiv.media’s editorial team has analyzed publicly available data to compile a comprehensive database of everyone who has received the title.

To date, 39 people have been named People’s Hero, including one foreign national. The first recipient was Sagadat Nurmagambetov, independent Kazakhstan’s first defense minister, who received the title in 1994. This year, 52 years after his death, the title was posthumously awarded to Kenzhebai Madenov (1925-1974), an officer who demonstrated exceptional courage during World War II (Great Patriotic War, 1941-1945).

The interactive infographic below allows users to sort and filter the data by recipient, year of award and professional category.

01 1924–2013 Army general Sagadat Nurmagambetov May 23, 1994 Date the title was conferred Read more

Army general, Hero of the Soviet Union and the first defense minister of independent Kazakhstan. He was the first recipient of the People’s Hero title.

02 1932–2007 Scientist and administrator Akhat Kulenov Oct. 15, 1994 Date the title was conferred Read more

Public figure, metallurgist and educator. Headed the Ust-Kamenogorsk Lead and Zinc Plant.

03 1936–2003 Scientist and administrator Aleksandr Khristenko Oct. 15, 1994 Date the title was conferred Read more

Agricultural production manager and director of the Karaganda Research State Farm Institute of Agriculture.

04 1946 Cosmonaut Toktar Aubakirov Jan. 12, 1995 Date the title was conferred Read more

Kazakhstan’s first cosmonaut (1991) and a test pilot.

05 1951–2025 Cosmonaut Talgat Musabayev Jan. 12, 1995 Date the title was conferred Read more

Cosmonaut who flew into space three times and took part in international space programs.

06 1961 Cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko Jan. 12, 1995 Date the title was conferred Read more

Russian cosmonaut. In 1994, he took part with Talgat Musabayev in an expedition to the Mir space station.

07 1918–2006 War veteran Kassym Kaisenov April 24, 1995 Date the title was conferred Read more

World War II (Great Patriotic War) veteran, renowned partisan and writer.

08 1922–2015 War veteran Aleksei Kulakov April 24, 1995 Date the title was conferred Read more

World War II (Great Patriotic War) veteran decorated for military valor with the Order of the Red Banner and the Order of the Red Star.

09 1918–1998 War veteran Murdin Taipov April 24, 1995 Date the title was conferred Read more

World War II (Great Patriotic War) veteran who fought in the liberation of Europe and in the Soviet–Japanese War.

10 1933–2015 Scientist and administrator Mukhtar Aliyev Dec. 29, 1995 Date the title was conferred Read more

Surgeon, academician and director of the Research Institute of Clinical and Experimental Surgery.

11 1937–2013 Scientist and administrator Akim Atmachidi Dec. 29, 1995 Date the title was conferred Read more

Construction industry executive. Headed the Semipalatinsk Precast Reinforced Concrete Production Association.

12 1912–2003 Scientist and administrator Shafik Chokin June 7, 1996 Date the title was conferred Read more

Scientist and academic who made a major contribution to the development of energy research in Kazakhstan.

Roza Baglanova — portrait on a postage stamp

13 1922–2011 Artist Roza Baglanova Dec. 9, 1996 Date the title was conferred Read more

Singer and People’s Artist of the USSR.

Image: portrait on a postage stamp.

14 1966–1988 Participant in the December 1986 protests Kairat Ryskulbekov Dec. 9, 1996 Date the title was conferred Awarded posthumously Read more

Participant in the December 1986 protests. He became a symbol of civic courage in Kazakhstan’s path to independence.

15 1920–1941 War veteran Bakhtyuras Beisekbayev May 6, 1998 Date the title was conferred Awarded posthumously Read more

Radio operator and gunner aboard a bomber. He was killed in an aerial battle in the early days of World War II (Great Patriotic War).

Nurgisa Tlendiyev — portrait on a postage stamp

16 1925–1998 Artist Nurgisa Tlendiyev Aug. 24, 1998 Date the title was conferred Read more

Composer, conductor and dombra player. He founded the Otyrar Sazy orchestra and left a rich musical legacy.

Image: portrait on a postage stamp.

17 1924–1988 War veteran Rakhimzhan Koshkarbayev May 7, 1999 Date the title was conferred Awarded posthumously Read more

Kazakh officer who raised the Victory Banner over the Reichstag in Berlin.

18 1932–2009 Artist Azerbaijan Mambetov Oct. 24, 2000 Date the title was conferred Read more

Theater and film director and People’s Artist of the USSR. He made a major contribution to the development of professional Kazakh theater.

19 1922–2008 War veteran Khiuaz Dospanova Dec. 7, 2004 Date the title was conferred Read more

Military pilot and navigator. She flew combat missions with a night-bomber aviation regiment.

20 1919–2005 War veteran Maulen Kalmyrza May 6, 2005* Date the title was conferred Read more

World War II (Great Patriotic War) and labor veteran, and an educator.

May 6, 2005, is the date the award was presented. The exact date and decree number for the conferral could not be verified in publicly available sources.

21 1924–2007 War veteran Aleksandr Kaporin May 6, 2005* Date the title was conferred Read more

World War II (Great Patriotic War) veteran and artilleryman, and a recipient of all three classes of the Order of Glory.

May 6, 2005, is the date the award was presented. The exact date and decree number for the conferral could not be verified in publicly available sources.

22 1945 Army general Mukhtar Altynbayev May 6, 2006 Date the title was conferred Read more

Army general and Kazakhstan’s defense minister.

23 1984 Rescue and law enforcement Azamat Zhumadilov Dec. 7, 2007 Date the title was conferred Read more

Officer in the airmobile forces. In 2007, he rescued two children and their mother from a burning house in Ushtobe.

24 1952 Army general Bakhytzhan Yertayev Dec. 5, 2008 Date the title was conferred Read more

Lieutenant general and veteran of the war in Afghanistan. He held senior positions in Kazakhstan’s armed forces.

25 1971–2011 Rescue and law enforcement Gaziz Baitasov Dec. 5, 2011 Date the title was conferred Awarded posthumously Read more

Police captain. He died in 2011 after stopping a suicide bomber at the cost of his own life.

26 1972 Cosmonaut Aidyn Aimbetov Oct. 14, 2015 Date the title was conferred Read more

Cosmonaut. In 2015, he flew to the International Space Station.

27 1961 Rescue and law enforcement Dmitri Rodin May 3, 2016 Date the title was conferred Read more

Civil aviation pilot. In 2016, he safely landed a Fokker 100 with its nose landing gear not deployed.

28 1977 Rescue and law enforcement Kairat Umbetov May 3, 2016 Date the title was conferred Read more

National Guard officer. During an exercise in 2016, he shielded a soldier from a grenade with his own body.

29 1940 President Nursultan Nazarbayev March 20, 2019 Date the title was conferred Read more

Kazakhstan’s first president.

30 1976–2021 Rescue and law enforcement Meirzhan Aimanov Aug. 29, 2021 Date the title was conferred Awarded posthumously Read more

Civil protection colonel. He died during rescue operations following a fire and explosions at a military depot in the Zhambyl region.

31 1916–1944 War veteran Tuleugali Abdybekov May 5, 2022 Date the title was conferred Awarded posthumously Read more

Sniper with the 8th Guards Rifle Division during World War II (Great Patriotic War), credited with killing 397 enemy soldiers.

32 (1912–?) War veteran Aleksandr Nesmiyanov May 5, 2022 Date the title was conferred Awarded posthumously Read more

Major and rifle battalion commander. Distinguished himself in battles in Crimea and East Prussia.

No reliable information about his date of death could be found.

33 1911–1943 War veteran Ibragim Suleimenov May 5, 2022 Date the title was conferred Awarded posthumously Read more

Renowned World War II (Great Patriotic War) sniper and senior sergeant.

34 1949 Rescue and law enforcement Kairbek Suleimenov Oct. 14, 2022 Date the title was conferred Read more

Veteran of the internal affairs agencies, colonel general and Kazakhstan’s interior minister (1995–2000 and 2002–2003).

35 1921–2025 War veteran Abdygali Kaimoldin May 5, 2023 Date the title was conferred Read more

Artilleryman and World War II (Great Patriotic War) veteran.

36 1923–2026 War veteran Ivan Gapich May 5, 2023 Date the title was conferred Read more

World War II (Great Patriotic War) veteran who took part in the 1945 Victory Parade in Moscow. After the war, he served in the prosecutor’s office.

37 1939 Army general Sat Tokpakbayev Sept. 10, 2024 Date the title was conferred Read more

Colonel general and public official. He headed the National Security Committee and the Ministry of Defense.

Bauyrzhan Momyshuly — portrait on a postage stamp

38 1910–1982 War veteran Bauyrzhan Momyshuly Dec. 25, 2025 Date the title was conferred Awarded posthumously Read more

Renowned military commander, colonel, writer and Hero of the Soviet Union.

Image: portrait on a postage stamp.

39 1925–1974 War veteran Kenzhebai Madenov May 5, 2026 Date the title was conferred Awarded posthumously Read more

World War II (Great Patriotic War) veteran who raised the Victory Banner over Berlin City Hall.

According to a publication by National Security Committee veterans, he was born in 1925; other compilations give 1927.

Kazakhstan’s highest honor

Under the Law on State Awards of the Republic of Kazakhstan, adopted April 1, 1993, the title of People’s Hero was initially the country’s sole highest distinction. In 1995, the legislation was revised to include additional top-level honors: the Altyn Qyran (Golden Eagle) Order and the title of Qazaqstannyń Eńbek Eri (Hero of Labor of Kazakhstan).

The title of Halyk Kakharmany is awarded for outstanding service to Kazakhstan and heroic deeds performed in the name of the country’s freedom and independence. Recipients receive two insignia: the Gold Star and the Otan (Fatherland) Order.

Two women and a participant in the December events

Among the recipients are two prominent women: singer and People’s Artist Roza Baglanova, who received the title in 1996, and military pilot and navigator Khiuaz Dospanova, honored in 2004.

Another recipient is Kairat Ryskulbekov, a participant in the December 1986 protests in Almaty. He died in 1988 and was posthumously awarded the title in 1996.

Military personnel, cosmonauts and public figures

Given the criteria for the award, military personnel, war veterans and Heroes of the Soviet Union account for the largest group of recipients, with 23 people.

Four cosmonauts also hold the title: Toktar Aubakirov, Talgat Musabayev, Yuri Malenchenko, a Russian citizen, and Aidyn Aimbetov.

T. Mussabayev, N. Nazarbayev, A. Aimbetov, T. Aubakirov / Photo: Akorda

Another group comprises eight prominent figures from science, the arts and industrial management. Five others were honored for saving lives and demonstrating courage in dangerous situations. They include police Capt. Gaziz Baitasov and civil protection Col. Meirzhan Aimanov, both of whom received the title posthumously.

The only person to receive the title on the basis of a special legal provision rather than for a military feat is Nursultan Nazarbayev, who holds it by virtue of his status as the country’s first head of state.

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