80th anniversary of Victory: Fight to last bullet of Manshuk Mametova

Manshuk Mametova became the first Kazakh woman to be awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union for her feat in the battles near Nevel in 1943, El.kz reports.

Early life and origin

Manshuk Mametova (Mansiya Zhiengaliyevna) was born on October 23, 1922 in the small village of Jiekqūm. By nationality - Kazakh, came from the Sherkesh family.

At an early age, Mansiya was adopted by a childless family of doctors - Amina and Akhmet Mametov. In the Kazakh tradition, it was a common thing to give a child to close relatives for upbringing. Her adoptive parents took care of her education and future. Amina called her adopted daughter "Monshak" - "pearl", but the girl did not pronounce the word and called herself "Manshuk". This name then became the official.

The family often moved on duty: from the Saratov region to Mangyshlak, and then to Uralsk, where Akhmet Mametov was appointed as the head of the regional health department. In the mid-1930s, they moved to Alma-Ata. There Manshuk graduated from the Rabfak and two courses of medical school.

In parallel with her studies, she began to work in the apparatus of the Council of People's Commissars of the Kazakh SSR as a secretary to the deputy chairman. Despite her young age, she was distinguished by high discipline and a desire for independence. At the same time, a tragic chapter in the life of the family began: Akhmet Mametov was arrested in 1938 for political reasons and soon shot as a "former activist of Alashorda". Manshuk, despite the pressure, did not change her surname and was not afraid to write several letters personally to Joseph Stalin, defending the name of her adoptive father.

The fate of Manshuk's biological parents was also dramatic: her biological father Zhiengali died in custody after being accused of stealing grain. These trials did not break the girl’s spirit- on the contrary, they became an important part of her inner core.

Joining the army and the way to the front

With the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, Manshuk Mametova, like thousands of her peers, sought to get to the front. In September 1942, she was accepted into the ranks of the Red Army and sent to the 100th Separate Rifle Brigade.

Initially, Manshuk held the position of a clerk at the headquarters, then a nurse. However, she aspired to a combat specialty. Showing perseverance, she took a machine gunner course and was enrolled in a combat unit as a machine gunner. Soon she was appointed the first number of the crew.

Manshuk Mametova's service fell on the 3rd Shock Army of the Kalinin Front, in conditions of heavy offensive battles. Unlike most women in supporting positions, Manshuk participated in direct attacks, demonstrating not only technical training, but also courage. Despite her age, she managed to win the respect of her colleagues and commanders.

The 100th Rifle Brigade, in which Manshuk fought, was later transformed into the 1st Rifle Division and awarded the honorary name "Brest" for participation in key operations. This emphasizes the scale and complexity of the combat missions in which the Kazakh heroine participated.

Feat and death

On October 15, 1943, during the Nevel offensive operation, Manshuk Mametova took part in a fierce battle for the liberation of the city of Nevel. In this battle, the 100th Rifle Brigade was ordered to hold the dominant height, which played a key role in the advance of the Soviet troops.

During the battle, Manshuk's entire crew was put out of action. Despite being severely wounded in the head, she continued to fire a machine gun alone. According to the memoirs of her colleagues, in that battle she destroyed up to 70 enemy soldiers, stopping the enemy offensive. Manshuk fought to the last bullet and died at her weapon, covering the retreat of her comrades.

Her courage became a symbol of the heroism of Soviet women at the front. On March 1, 1944 there by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR the senior sergeant Manshuk Mametova was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. She was also awarded the Order of Lenin, one of the highest state awards of that time.

Manshuk Mametova became the first Kazakh woman to be awarded this high title for participation in the Great Patriotic War.

Memory and heritage

The name of Manshuk Mametova occupies a special place in the history of Kazakhstan and the memory of the people of the Great Patriotic War.

In 1969, Kazakh film director Mazhit Begalin shot the film "The Song of Manshuk" based on the script by Andrei Konchalovsky. The main role was played by actress Natalya Arinbasarova.

Streets in Almaty, Uralsk, Saykhin, Nevel and other cities are named in honor of Mametova. Schools in Shymkent, Taraz, Almaty and West Kazakhstan regions, as well as Technical Lyceum No 28 in Almaty, are named after her. In Uralsk, there is a memorial museum of Manshuk Mametova, created in the house where the Mametov family lived. On its basis, in 2010, a branch of the museum was opened in Aktobe.

In 1988, a monument to Manshuk was erected in Uralsk, later replaced by the monument "Glorious Daughters of the Kazakh People" - in memory of Manshuk Mametova, Aliya Moldagulova and Khiuaz Dospanova. In addition, in the mountains south of Almaty, the peak is named after Manshuk Mametova- a symbol of strength and resilience.

In 2022, by the decree of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the international airport in Uralsk was officially named after Manshuk Mametova. In the same year, the National Bank of Kazakhstan issued a commemorative coin with a face value of 100 tenge with its image.

Historical significance

Manshuk Mametova has become a symbol of courage, civic loyalty to the Motherland. Her story is not only a feat on the battlefield, but also an example of fortitude, independence and inner honesty. In the years when the role of women in the army was just beginning to be recognized by society, the Kazakh soldier proved that courage does not know gender and age.

Manshuk Mametova is one of the three legendary Kazakh women who became famous during the war, along with Aliya Moldagulova and Khiuaz Dospanova. Their names have become part of the national identity, and still serve as an example for the younger generation.

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