Twice Hero of the Soviet Union Talgat Bigeldinov dies

Military aviator, WWII veteran who made 300 combat missions, two times Hero of the Soviet Union Talgat Bigeldinov died.Yestereday, twice Hero of the Soviet Union, Major General of Kazakhstan Aviation Talgat Bigeldinov has died in the city of Almaty. He was a military aviator of the Soviet Army during the Great Patriotic War, twice Hero of the Soviet Union. 

Talgat Bigeldinov was born in 1922 in the village May-Balik, Akmola region, in a peasant family. Bigeldinov volunteered for the Soviet Army in 1940 and graduated from the Chkalov Military Aviation School in 1942. In the Great Patriotic War he rose from pilot to commander of the 144th Guard Attack Aviation Regiment. In just two years T. Bigeldinov made 305 sorties, flied almost 500 hours, destroyed a lot of equipment and manpower; shot down 7 planes, a few burned on the ground during the ground attack of the enemy airfields, inform.kz reports.

The title of Hero of the Soviet Union was twice conferred on him for courage and daring in attacks on enemy airfields, railroad junctions, strongpoints, fortifications, troops, and materiel. In 1950, T.Bigeldinov graduated from the Air Force Academy and was deputy commander and chief of staff of an aviation regiment. He served as deputy to the second and third convocations of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. He retired in 1956 for reasons of health. He has been awarded the Order of Lenin, two Orders of the Red Banner, Orders of the Patriotic War First and Second Class, the Order of Alexander Nevsky, the Order of the Red Star, the Order of Glory Third Class, and also medals.