The Russian soldier who turned around the Georgian military column during the Georgian-Ossetian war in 2008 turned out to be Ibrashev Tasbolat Abatovich, “Arguments of the week” has found out.
Foreign journalists who were part of the Georgian convoy in 2008 then described the story of how a soldier with a machine gun stood in front of the convoy. One of the articles was entitled "300 is not necessary, one is enough." The media called the name of the Russian military – Buryat Bato Dashidorzhiev. There was no other information besides the fact that he then was killed in this war.
South Ossetian defense participants recall that the incident with the Georgian column occurred on August 10, and Bato Dashidorzhiev "died like a warrior" on August 12.
The video with this incident still has a large number of views on the Internet.
A deputy of the State Duma of Russia from Buryatia Aldar Damdinov decided to find the relatives of the soldier, however, there was no any result following the requests for information
“After some time, I managed to find someone who actually stood alone in the middle of the road with a machine gun. And it was not Bato Dashidorzhiev, who at that time served in the contract hot spot,” writes «Arguments of the week”.
On August 8, 2008, Tasbolat Ibrashev was in the village of Shali in the Chechen Republic as part of the 70th motorized rifle regiment. The company commander, senior lieutenant Dychkovsky, ordered to advance to the Georgian border to help the peacekeeping forces. After spending the night waiting for the regrouping forces of Georgia, which never appeared, the company stood at the town of Gori.
“A few days after our stop, Colonel Shtondenko arrived,” said Tasbolat. - He ordered a machine gunner to be called to him along with an assistant and an arrow. At that time, I was the only machine gunner at the checkpoint, respectively, the choice fell on me. The four of us moved forward along the road, and there we met a column of Georgian soldiers. The colonel was not at a loss and immediately went to talk with them, ordering me to stand and under no circumstances to retreat. At that time, two of my comrades took up fighting positions at the curb behind the boulders.
“From the side of the column, they started shouting to me, “let us pass”, “get out of the way” and something else in Georgian. I answered: "I will not leave; I have an order." Journalists came, apparently, who arrived with the Georgians. They asked why we were standing there. I answered: “for the sake of the Motherland”, for what else?
Of course, I understood that they could kill me alone with a machine gun from the first shot. But I was not afraid, I only thought that my mother did not know where I was. I called up a couple of days before and said that we were in Chechnya, I did not want to disturb her before leaving. I was sure that we were not for long. Fortunately, nothing happened. After a while, the column turned around,” Ibrashev said.
When Ibrashev’s contract ended, he went home. In 2010-2011, Tasbolat saw the video and recognized himself in it. He wondered why he was called an unknown name. Ibrashev tried to say that he was alive and healthy, but they did not believe him, and he did not prove it.
Residents of South Ossetia in numerous comments on social networks in connection with the news about the hero who has now announced, thank him for his courage and wish him a long life.
