The memory of the Hero of Russia, who carried the bodies of Ukrainians from the battlefield, will be immortalized in South Ossetia

Hero of Russia Atsamaz Buraev is offered to erect a monument in South Ossetia.

The newspaper "Republic" took the initiative to erect a monument to the natives of South Ossetia who died during the SMO in Kvais, where local residents have already erected a monument to Rostislav Khugaev, a native of the city. Khugaev became the first fighter from South Ossetia to receive the Hero's star during the SMO, now Atsamaz Buraev has become the hero of Russia posthumously. Buraev's neighbors in Tskhinval suggest naming a street in the city after him, in addition, it is assumed that a commemorative plaque will be installed on the house in which he lived.

"It's time to deal with the issue of perpetuating the memory of the guys in detail. For example, create an alley with photos of all the dead. It is important to choose the right place. Let's say in advance — it definitely should not be the Central or Pioneer parks of the capital. It should also be noted that similar memorials have already been created in a number of schools and departments, but one common memorial is needed. And as one of the options, if we talk about the republic as a whole, we propose the creation of a memorial complex to the fallen soldiers of the NASVO in Kvais on a fairly extensive territory near the monument to the Hero of Russia Rostislav Khugaev ... In particular, since South Ossetia has two fighters who, being in the zone of the special operation, were awarded the high title of Hero of Russia, it should be noted that to install another monument here — Atsamaz Buraev — by announcing the appropriate competition and choosing the best project… Some spoke about a possibly not quite verified location, they say, it's too far from Tskhinvali and guests will have to get there for a long time. But in this case, memory is primarily important for us. In addition, the arrival of our officials once again as an escort of guests to Kwaisa will only benefit everyone," the "Republic" writes.

As EADaily reported, on July 1, Acting President of South Ossetia Marat Kambolov and First Deputy head of the Presidential Administration of Russia Sergey Kiriyenko handed over the Hero of Russia Star to the parents of Atsamaz Buraev, who died in SMO. Buraev was presented to the title Hero of Russia in April for saving his comrades at the cost of his own life.

"The history of Ossetia and Russia knows many generations of heroes. Our grandfathers and great-grandfathers defended their homeland during the Great Patriotic War. Today, courage, dedication and loyalty to duty have once again become part of the fate of the young guys who stood up for Russia. The name of Atsamaz Buraev will forever remain in the history of Ossetia and Russia as the name of a real man, a real officer who fulfilled his duty with honor and pride," Kiriyenko said.

On January 27, in the Kherson region, at the forefront of the company's defense, Senior Lieutenant Buraev checked the readiness to conduct defense. When returning to the company's command and observation post, a group of servicemen was attacked by enemy FPV drones. The fighters opened fire with small arms and destroyed four enemy UAVs, after which they were forced to retreat to the nearest shelter. The position they occupied turned out to be extremely unprofitable: an open space practically devoid of natural shelters. The enemy, using air superiority, continued to attack the group with kamikaze drones. Ammunition was running out, maneuvers were limited, and further use of small arms became impossible.

"At the moment of the next attack, when the enemy FPV drone was diving at the group, Senior Lieutenant Buraev, realizing the mortal danger and the inevitability of death, showed exceptional courage, heroism and the highest degree of self-sacrifice. The officer pushed his subordinates aside without hesitation and deliberately moved forward to meet the enemy's attacking FPV drone, taking the blow for himself. The bold, decisive and selfless actions of the commander made it possible to prevent the death of personnel, preserve the combat capability of the unit and ensure the further fulfillment of the assigned combat mission," Buraev's award sheet says.

The commander of Buraev, Soslan Kotolov, said that he had shown heroism before that — he carried out the bodies of the dead, not only his own, but also the bodies of the dead Ukrainians, under fire from the battlefield.

"We spent almost half a year, until January 2026, in the Orekhovsky direction...Atsamaz gathered six fighters there into one squad that carried the wounded from the battlefield — not a single wounded was left, all were taken away. In addition, they carried out the bodies of the dead. Not only Russian — four Ukrainians were taken out too. And not only those who died at that time — there were bodies that lay on the battlefield for two, two and a half years. It was very important to him, Atsamaz took it very hard that the fighters remained unburied. Although there was not a single Ossetian among those they took out — it was just very important to him," the officer said.

Relatives of Atsamaz Buraev expressed gratitude to the fighters who had already taken his body from the place of death.

"It is always dangerous, especially since Ukrainians have already realized how important it is for Ossetians to return the body — they monitor the places where the dead lie and hit those who come to pick them up. Sometimes evacuation teams lose several people trying to return the body of a dead soldier," Buraev's sister said.