Kazakhstan History

Nurken Abdirov

Statue of Abdirov in his home city of Karaganda, Kazakhstan

Nurken Abdirov (Kazakh: Нуркен Абдиров) was a Kazakh pilot who served for the Soviet Union in World War II, and was killed in the Battle of Stalingrad.

Abdirov is a legendary figure in his hometown of Karaganda, Kazakhstan. According to local history, when Abdirov's plane was disabled by enemy fire, he and gunner Aleksandr Komissarov heroically steered his descent to crash into a column of German tanks, sacrificing his own life to destroy his enemy. On March 31, 1943, Abdirov was posthumously made Hero of the Soviet Union.

History of Kazakstan people