Abdulkhakim Ismailov

Abdulkhakim Isakovich Ismailov
Abdulkhakim Isakovich Ismailov
Native name	Абдулхаким Исакович Исмаилов
Born	1 July 1916; Aksay // Chagar-otar, Terek Oblast, Russian Empire
Died	17 February 2010 (aged 93); Chagarotar village, Dagestan, Russian Federation
Allegiance	Soviet Union
Service/branch	Red Army
Years of service	1934–1945
Rank	Sergeant
Battles/wars	Winter War; World War II
Awards	Hero of the Russian Federation

Abdulkhakim Isakovich Ismailov (Russian: Абдулхаким Исакович Исмаилов, Kumyk: Абдулгьаким Исакъны уланы Исмайиланы; 1 July 1916 – 17 February 2010) was a soldier in Red Army during World War II. He was photographed by Yevgeny Khaldei raising the flag of the Soviet Union over the Reichstag in Berlin on 2 May 1945, days before Nazi Germany's surrender.^[1]^[2]

Abdulkhakim Ismailov, a native of Dagestan of the Kumyk ethnicity, was severely wounded five times during World War II, including the Battle of Stalingrad, but constantly returned to the frontline.^[1] According to his own words^{[citation needed]}, he was born in Aksay village, not in Chagar otar, as stated officially.

The iconic photograph of Raising a flag over the Reichstag has been compared to the picture of American Marines raising the Flag on Iwo Jima in the Pacific theater.^[1] Photographer Yevgeny Khaldei recruited three Soviet soldiers for the picture – Aleksei Kovalyev, a teenager, held the flag over the Reichstag, while Ismailov and Aleksei Goryachev also appeared hoisting the flag in the photograph.^[1] Ismailov's role in the photograph remained unknown until Kovalyev identified Ismailov in a 1995 television documentary.^[1] Ismailov was honored as a Hero of Russia in 1996.^[1]

Abdulkhakim Ismailov died in his native village of Chagar-Otar, Khasavyurtovsky District, Dagestan, Russia, on 17 February 2010, at the age of 93.^[1]

Awards and decorations

	Hero of the Russian Federation (19 February 1996)
	Order of the Red Banner, twice (18 May 1945)
	Order of the Patriotic War, 1st class (11 March 1985)
	Order of Glory, 3rd class (8 March 1945)
	Medal "For Courage" (12 March 1944)
	Medal of Zhukov
	Medal "For the Liberation of Warsaw" (1945)
	Medal "For the Capture of Berlin" (1945)
	Medal "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" (1945)
	Jubilee Medal "Twenty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945" (1965)
	Jubilee Medal "Thirty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" (1975)
	Jubilee Medal "Forty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" (1985)
	Jubilee Medal "50 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" (1993)
	Jubilee Medal "60 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" (2004)
	Jubilee Medal "In Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the Birth of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin" (1969)
	Jubilee Medal "50 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR" (1968)
	Jubilee Medal "60 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR" (1978)
	Jubilee Medal "70 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR" (1988)