Army General Sagadat Nurmagambetov, the first Defense Minister of Kazakhstan, Hero of the Soviet Union, People’s Hero of Kazakhstan, has died at the age of 89.
Nurmagambetov was born in 1924. He took part in the Great Patriotic War in 1942 and became major and was given command of a battalion. He became the Hero of the Soviet Union for liberation of Poland. Nurmagambetov took part in the siege of Berlin, his battalion was storming the Reichstag.
He was promoted to Deputy Commander of Forces of the Middle Asian Military District and Deputy Commander of the Forces of the Southern Group of Forces (Hungary).
Nurmagambetov became the first Kazakh Defense Minister and stayed at the post until resignation in 1995.
