His grandson, Belek Usenbekov, published archival video footage where Kalynur Usenbekov can be seen. He recounted that on May 6, 1994, during the celebration of the 49th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, his grandfather participated in the famous television game show "Field of Miracles" on one of the central Russian TV channels. Other generals and Heroes of the Soviet Union also appeared in this program.
Kalynur Usenbekov successfully answered the host Leonid Yakubovich's questions and made it to the finals. After spinning the wheel, the pointer landed on the "Prize" sector. The general decided to take the prize in memory of his participation in the program, despite Yakubovich's offer to win 1 million 100 thousand rubles. In the end, he became the owner of a car.
Kalynur Usenbekovich was born on September 23, 1921, in the village of Oi-Bulak, located in the Tyup district of the Issyk-Kul region.
He graduated from Przhevalsk Pedagogical College in June 1941 and worked for less than a year as the head of the educational department at the Malo-Dzharchak incomplete secondary school. In February 1942, he was drafted into the Soviet Army and sent to the Transbaikal Military District. From November 1942, he participated in the battles of the Great Patriotic War.
Kalynur Usenbekov initially served in the Transbaikal Military District, near Irkutsk, and then joined the 266th Rifle Division of the Don Front. He distinguished himself in the Battle of Stalingrad and in the winter-spring battles of 1943 in the Donbass, later becoming a political officer and fighting on the Don, Third and Fourth Ukrainian, as well as First Belarusian fronts. He completed the war in Berlin.
The battles for the Küstrin bridgehead from February 12 to 14, 1945, were memorable, from where a direct path to Berlin opened up. Kalynur Usenbekov inspired his soldiers, repelling enemy counterattacks, destroying dozens of enemy soldiers and capturing two.
For his feats, on May 31, 1945, after the storming of Berlin, he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, as well as the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal.
Kalynur Usenbekov was also awarded medals from the governments of Mongolia, Bulgaria, and Romania. After Kyrgyzstan gained independence, he became the recipient of the Order of Manas, the Dank medal, and several Certificates of Honor.
After the war, Usenbekov continued to serve in the Armed Forces of the USSR, graduating from the Military Law Academy in 1951. From 1951 to 1961, he worked in the military and civil prosecutor's offices, holding positions as a military investigator, deputy, and first deputy prosecutor of the Kyrgyz SSR.
From 1961 to 1968, he worked in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, first as the head of a department, then as deputy commander of a military unit.
From 1968 to 1987, he served as the chairman of the Central Committee of DOSAAF of the Kyrgyz SSR.
Since May 1987, he headed the Council of Veterans of War, Labor, and Armed Forces of the Kyrgyz Republic. He was elected as a deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the Kyrgyz SSR for several terms and became a deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR in 1989.
Kalynur Usenbekov passed away on December 8, 2003, and was buried in Bishkek.
His wife was Zhumagul Musaeva, one of the first female pilots of Kyrgyzstan, who made 312 parachute jumps.
