Museum of Manshuk Mametova

Manshuk Mametova was a machine- gunner during World War II. She became the first Kazakh woman to be awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union for valor in a battle. Manshuk died at her post giving her fellow soldiers cover as they retreated and killing 70 enemy soldiers in her final battle. In 1982, on Manshuk’s 60th birth anniversary, a Memorial Museum was opened in Uralsk, West Kazakhstan Province.

The museum showcases an interior of a typical 1930s Soviet-style apartment featuring a Singer sewing machine, various chests and jewelry boxes, embroidered bed linen, and samovars (a Russian traditional device used to boil water for tea). All of these items create a certain atmosphere that allows you to understand how people lived a hundred years ago.

The most important exhibits are Manshuk’s letters, diaries, photographs, and books donated to the museum by her mother. Among the exhibits, there is also a kamcha (a short, thick whip), on which Manshuk wrote her name. It was presented to her for winning a horse racing competition.

The museum also keeps the soldier's helmet, a box for a machine-gun belt, and a crumpled flask, found by a Russian search team at the site of Manshuk’s death.

The museum's exhibits will tell you about the timeline of the German invasion of the Soviet Union. The highlight of the exposition is the unique diorama – “The Immortal Feat of Manshuk”. It is a three-dimensional model depicting Manshuk’s last stand.

In the courtyard there is a sculpture of the young heroine. Uralsk also features a monument to Manshuk, which is located on the street bearing her name.

Useful tips for 2021-2022

How to get there

The museum is located in the center of Uralsk at the following address: 51 Sarayshyk St. The bus stop you need is “Eurasia Institute”.

Food and accommodation

Uralsk is one of the largest cities in Kazakhstan offering a wide variety of hotels, hostels, cafes, and restaurants.