As follows from the documents declassified by the Russian defense ministry, more than 300 thousand citizens of the Turkmen Soviet Socialistic Republic were conscripted into the Red Army.
The 87th Separate Turkmen Rifle Brigade played a key role in the liberation of Sevastopol. This is stated in declassified documents from the funds of the Central Archive of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, telling about the contribution of soldiers of the Union republics of the USSR to Victory in the Great Patriotic War.
The department’s documents emphasize that the contribution of the Turkmen SSR to the victory in the Great Patriotic War was significant, despite the fact that the republic was far from the front line. More than 300,000 Turkmens were conscripted into the Red Army. They fought on all fronts of the war, participating in key battles such as the defense of Moscow, the Battle of Stalingrad, the Battle for the Caucasus, and the storming of Berlin.
The archival documents tell about the combat path of the 87th separate Turkmen Rifle brigade, formed in 1941. The fighters of this unit were known for their bravery and ability to operate effectively in difficult terrain. The brigade played a key role in the liberation of Sevastopol, where it faced fierce resistance from German troops.
Takhirov’s feat
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From the award list of Senior Sergeant Aydogdy Takhirov, a soldier of the 87th separate Rifle brigade: “After heavy mortar fire, the fascists launched an offensive in the area of our unit. The military guard was attacked by a company of drunken fascists. Comrade Takhirov bravely met the battle, despite the overwhelming numerical superiority of the enemy. The combat guards opened fire on the fascists without taking a single step away. Soon three soldiers were killed, and Senior Sergeant Takhirov was left alone against a large enemy group. He continued to fire, preventing the enemy from advancing further and ignoring his injuries. <…> Hand-to-hand combat ensued. Having received a number of more serious wounds, Takhirov was carried away by the Germans into his trench in an unconscious state. In this unequal battle, Comrade Takhirov destroyed 47 enemy soldiers,” says the award list for the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. ///TASS, 31 January 2025