Masim Yakobov

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Masim Yakobovich Yakobov (Uyghur: Масим Разухунович Якубов; Russian: Макси́м Яку́бович Яку́бов) was a Soviet soldier and Hero of the Soviet Union. He was born on February 25, 1914, in Tashtykara, (now Amangel'dy, Almaty Region, Kazakhstan) to a peasant Uyghur family. He joined the Red Army in 1941 and fought on the Eastern Front with the 836th Rifle Regiment, 240th Rifle Division, 38th Army.

On September 12, 1943, at Puzyrin farm, Yakobov crawled up to a German machine-gun position and destroyed it with hand grenades, killing 15 German soldiers. On September 26, 1943, he was among the first to reach the right bank of the Dnieper near Lyutezh and, with his group, held the bridgehead against counterattacks until reinforcements arrived. Between October 4 and 14, 1943, he led his squad in attacks under heavy fire, killing up to 30 German soldiers.

For crossing the Dnieper and strengthening the western bridgehead, he was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union with the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star on November 13, 1943. Yakobov was demobilized in 1944 due to illness. He later worked as a herdsman on a collective farm in Karasay District, Alma-Ata Region, and later lived in Alma-Ata. He died on July 8, 1974, at the age of 60.