Sharifzyan Kazanbaev
{{Short description|Tatar Red Army sergeant major of Soviet Union}}
{{family name hatnote|Gabdurahmanovich|Kazanbaev|lang=Eastern Slavic}}
{{Infobox military person
| name = Sharifzyan Gabdurahmanovich Kazanbaev
| native_name = Шарифзян Габдурахманович Казанбаев
| image =
| birth_date = 1916
| death_date = 1 April 1944
| birth_place = Sarashi, Osinsky Uyezd, Perm Governorate, Russian Empire
| death_place = Orhei District, Moldavian SSR, {{nowrap|Soviet Union}}
| allegiance = {{flag|Soviet Union}}
| branch = Red Army
| serviceyears = 1938–1944
| rank = Starshina/Sergeant major
| unit = 6th Guards Airborne Division
| battles =
{{tree list}}
{{tree list/end}}
| awards = Hero of the Soviet Union
}}Sharifzyan Gabdurahmanovich Kazanbaev ({{langx|ru|Шарифзян Габдурахманович Казанбаев}}; 1916 – 1 April 1944) was a Tatar Red Army sergeant major or Starshina and posthumous Hero of the Soviet Union. Kazanbaev was awarded the title posthumously for his actions in the Uman–Botoșani Offensive. Kazanbaev was mortally wounded saving his regiment's colour.{{Ruheroes|name=Sharifzyan Kazanbaev|id=11095}}
Early life
Kazanbaev was born in 1916 in the village of Sarashi in Perm Governorate to a peasant family. After graduating from seventh grade and road masters courses in Sverdlovsk, he returned to Sarashi. He became the chairman of the village general store. In 1938, Kazanbaev was drafted into the Red Army.{{Cite book|url=http://www.az-libr.ru/index.htm?Persons&000/Src/0007/92f18acb|title=Герои Советского Союза: Краткий биографический словарь|publisher=Voenizdat|year=1987|editor-last=Shkadov|editor-first=Ivan|location=Moscow|language=Russian|trans-title=Heroes of the Soviet Union: A Brief Biographical Dictionary}}
World War II
Kazanbaev fought in combat from 1941 and served with the 6th Guards Airborne Division from its formation. In the spring of 1944, he was a squad leader in the Commandant's Platoon of the division's 14th Guards Airborne Regiment. Kazanbaev fought in the Uman-Botosani Offensive. On 31 March the regiment conducted a raid in the German rear, capturing Ciocîlteni village and blocking the road. The regiment held the highway and repulsed counterattacks by superior numbers of German troops. When the situation worsened and the German troops broke through to the outskirts of the village, the regiment's chief of staff ordered Kazanbaev and his squad to save the regimental colour. He led his squad to link up with advancing Soviet troops. They were attacked by German troops and a seriously wounded Kazanbaev was the only survivor. He buried the flag in the ground. When rescued by a cavalry patrol, Kazanbaev was able to tell an officer where the flag was. He died from his wounds shortly afterwards on 1 April.Irretrievable loss report, available online at [https://pamyatnaroda.mil.ru/heroes/memorial-chelovek_donesenie56252152/ pamyatnaroda.mil.ru]Hero of the Soviet Union citation, available online at [https://pamyatnaroda.mil.ru/heroes/podvig-chelovek_nagrazhdenie20918793/ pamyatnaroda.mil.ru] Kazanbaev was buried in Ciocîlteni.{{Cite web|url=http://enc.permculture.ru/showObject.do?object=1803792648&viewMode=D_1803401872&link=1|title=Казанбаев Шарифзян Габдурахманович|website=enc.permculture.ru|language=Russian|trans-title=Kazanbaev Sharifzyan Gabdurahmanovich|access-date=2016-03-28}}
On 13 September 1944, Kazanbaev was posthumously awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union and the Order of Lenin.