Rakhimzhan Koshkarbayev was born in the village of Nura (presently the settlement of Oktyabr, Tselinograd Region) in 1924. In 1942, when Rakhimzhan turned 18, he was called into the Red Army. Beginning 1944, after Rakhimzhan graduated from the Frunze Military Infantry College, he fought as platoon commanader on the battle fronts (the 150th Idritsa Division of the First Belorussian Front) for freedom of his Soviet Homeland. Koshkarbayev took part in the liberation of Poland and in the heroic battles that led to the complete victory over fascist Germany.

By the end of the war lieutenant Koshkarbayev headed an intelligence support platoon in the 674th Rifle Regiment of the 150th Rifle Division. As such he reached Berlin. Lieutenant Rakhimzhan Koshkarbayev and enlisted soldier Grigory Bulatov were the first to hoist their regiment’s red banner on the Reichstag’s fronton. The fact that the banner looked like a piece of cloth, didn’t bother the soldiers. Later on, similar banners appeared in different places all over the Reichstag. But all commanders, including Marshall Zhukov, knew that Koshkarbayev and Bulatov’s banner was the first to appear.

For this act of valour the regiment’s commanders submitted Koshkarbayev’s and Bulatov’s nomination for the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Everything was in the pipeline but... Rakhimzhan Koshkarbayev was only decorated with the Red Banner Order. Lots of people, including Baurzhan Momyshuly, a hero of the famous Panfilov Division, interceded for Rakhimzhan. However, Stalin was reluctant. The fact was, Rakhimzhan Koshkarbayev’s father was declared enemy of the people.

According to the 150th Rifle Division’s record book, on 30 April 1945, 2:25 pm, Lieutenant Rakhimzhan Koshkarbayev and enlisted soldier Grigory Bulatov „wormed their way to the central part of the building and put up the red banner on the grand staircase”. Hero of the Soviet Union I.F. Klochkov wrote in his book, We assaulted the Reichstag: „Rakhimzhan Koshkarbayev was the first to get the red banner fastened to the column”.

In the post-WWII years Rakhimzhan Koshkarbayev took active part in the economic reconstruction, held important positions in the Council of Ministers of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic and was a prominent public figure.

According to Rakhimzhan’s daughter Aliya, every year on 9 May her family celebrated the Victory: they laid the table, invited guests and treated them with national cuisine dishes.