Mehdi Huseynzade

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Lieutenant Mehdi Huseynzade (Azerbaijani: Mehdi Hüseynzadə; Russian: Мехти Гусейнзаде) (December 22, 1919, Novkhana – November 2, 1944, Vitovlje, near Triest) was an Azeri guerilla and scout during the Soviet-German War and a Hero of the Soviet Union posthumously since April 11, 1957.

In 1942, Huseynzade was wounded near Stalingrad and taken prisoner by the Nazis. After escaping, he joined the Yugoslavian guerrillas and in 1944, became a commander of the special reconnaissance diversionary unit of the 11th Corps' Staff of the Yugoslavian People's Liberation Army. On April 2, 1944, Huseynzade, nicknamed Mikhaylo (Russian: Михайло) with his mate Mirdamat Seidov installed a delayed-action mine in the "Opchina" cinema in Triest. The explosion killed 80 and wounded 260 Germans, of which 40 died later in hospital. At the end of April, Huseynzade, Hans Fritz and Ali Tagiyev blew up a bridge near the Postayno railway station, which led to a 24-car train crash. In May, Huseynzade and Seidov blew up a casino, where 150 Germans died and 350 were wounded. A 400,000 Reichsmark reward for killing Huseynzade was established.

Huseynzade died in combat with Germans in the Slovenian settlement Vitovlje. His life and heroism during World War II was described in Imran Gasimov's book On distant shores ("Uzaq sahillərdə"), and the movie made in Soviet years by Azerbaijanfilm movie studio. A football stadium in Sumgayit was named after him. Monuments in his honour have been erected in Baku, as well as in his hometown of Novkhana, Azerbaijan, and near Nova Gorica, Slovenia.

[edit] External links

• Mehti Huseynzade (Russian)