APersonIndependent states
Bauyrzhan Momyshuly
Commander and writer (1910–1982), hero of the defence of Moscow in 1941, made a Hero of the Soviet Union in 1990.
Bauyrzhan Momyshuly was born in Zhambyl Region. In 1941, as a battalion commander in General Panfilov's division, he fought in the fierce battles on the Volokolamsk approach to Moscow.
His tactics of manoeuvre and breaking out of encirclement are studied in military history; Alexander Bek's novel Volokolamsk Highway describes his battles and has been read in military schools in many countries.
After the war he wrote memoirs and stories in Kazakh. He was made a Hero of the Soviet Union posthumously in 1990, and a military lyceum and a district in Kazakhstan bear his name.
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Updated: October 2, 2026