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The legendary strike pilot, twice Hero of the Soviet Union, Major General of aviation of Kazakhstan Talgat Begeldinov was born on August 5, 1922, in the village of Maybalyk, Korgalzhyn district, Akmola region. His life was very challenging. Talgat's parents passed away early. From the age of 6, the boy was raised by his father's younger brother in Pishpek (now Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan). From an early age, Talgat worked hard, helping his grandmother, herding and milking cows and horses. There was no Kazakh school in the village at that time, and little Talgat went to the 4th grade of the Tatar school. Playing in the yard with boys from different families, over time, along with Kazakh, he mastered Russian and Tatar languages.
Since childhood, the boy dreamed of the sky, to become a pilot. At the age of 13, despite the language barrier, he went to a Russian school. As a 16-year-old boy, after reading the novel "Two captains", Talgat got enthusiastic about the goal of becoming a military pilot. In 1938, he joined the flying club in the city of Frunze, then in 1940, he entered the Balashov military aviation school, after that he transferred to the Chkalov military aviation school in Orenburg, and graduated in 1942 with the rank of corporal.
When the Great Patriotic War began, Talgat was eager to go to the front, but he understood that the pilot's skills still needed to be improved. He went to Izhevsk to learn the secrets of piloting the Il-2. Talgat Begeldinov went to the front in January 1943. He arrived in Tver, in the midst of hell, where he immediately understood what war was. Even experienced pilots sometimes did not return from combat missions. But the young nineteen-year-olds were not afraid, on the contrary, they were determined to rush into battle as soon as possible. Moreover, they flew the legendary Il-2 planes - powerful fire planes, they were called "flying tanks", and the fascists called them "black death".
During the Great Patriotic War, T. Begeldinov made 305 operational flights, shot down seven enemy aircraft and spent a total of 500 hours in the air. On the legendary Il-2, Talgat Begeldinov stormed the Nazi ground forces, shot down planes, and carried out reconnaissance. In one of his interviews, the legendary pilot recalled: "In one battle, up to 60 enemy fighters rose against us! Only six of our nine vehicles returned to the airfield. Forcedly breaking away from my comrades, I went on the attack on the "Messer" and shot him point-blank. As it turned out, there was a German virtuoso of air combat, captain von Dietrich, with over 200 sorties, he was awarded crosses for exploits in Spain, France and the Balkans", recalled the ace.
On October 26, 1944, senior lieutenant Talgat Begeldinov of the state guard was recommended for a decoration. For his bravery and military skill in liberating the cities of Znamenka and Kirovograd, and for personally shooting down 4 enemy planes in air battles, he was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union.
In the autumn of 1944, captain Begeldinov became the squadron commander of the 144th Guards Assault Aviation Regiment. On June 24, 1945, he took part in the Victory Parade in Moscow.
The second Gold Star medal was awarded to captain Talgat Begeldinov on June 27, 1945, for skillful leadership of the squadron and combat exploits while storming of enemy troops and equipment in the battles for the cities of Krakow, Oppeln, Katowice, Breslau and Berlin.
After the war, in 1950 Begeldinov graduated from the Air Force Academy. Until 1956, he served in the Soviet Air force. From 1957 to 1970, he worked in civil aviation. He was a Deputy Chairman of the Civil Aviation Department of the Kazakh SSR. He led the work on the creation of runways in Almaty, Aktobe, Karaganda, Kostanay, Zhambyl, Ust-Kamenogorsk and other regional centers. In 1968, Talgat Begeldinov graduated from the Moscow Institute of civil engineering and started working in the system of Gosstroy of the Kazakh SSR.
He was a Deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of the 2nd-3rd and 12th convocations. He was the President of the International Сharity Foundation, which provides assistance to disabled people of the Great Patriotic War and orphans.
In 1966, in his book "The Ils Attack", Talgat Begeldinov told about his path in aviation, front-line and post-war life. The book was widely recognized throughout the USSR. He is also the author of the books "305 Raids" and "Battle in the Air." Talgat Begeldinov's heroic exploits have repeatedly become the basis for television programs, documentaries and feature films. Having become a legend in his lifetime, Talgat-aga is still a model of heroism, an example for boys who dream of aviation. To mark the 55th anniversary of the Great Victory, on May 9, 2000, a bust of twice Hero of the Soviet Union Talgat Begeldinov was installed on the Walk of Fame in Kokshetau.
The hero died on November 10, 2014. Talgat Begeldinov lived a great, glorious life, full of courage, heroism and bravery. In his telegram of condolences to the family of the legendary pilot, the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, noted: "In a difficult time for the country, Talgat Yakubekovich demonstrated an amazing example of love for the motherland, courage and military art, thus glorifying himself and his people. After returning to civilian life, he worked fruitfully in the field of civil aviation and construction, showing others an example of high organizational skills and good human qualities. Our people were especially proud of Talgat Begeldinov. People named thousands of newborns after him, many of whom, striving to be like him, grew up to be professionals and worthy individuals. Kazakhstanis will never forget the bright name and work of our hero-compatriot," the President said.
The Military Institute of the Air Defense Forces of Aktobe and the Republican Military Boarding School in the city of Karaganda bear the name of twice Hero of the Soviet Union T. Begeldinov. Streets in many cities and villages of Kazakhstan are named after the famous pilot.
The book collection of the Library of the First President contains works about the great Batyr of the Kazakh people. Among them are "Starry sky of Talgat" by Alexander Sergeev, "The Great Patriotic War in my life: 60 years later" by Kaken Abenov and other publications.