Abdulkhakim Ismailov, a Dagestani veteran of the Great Patriotic War, was one of those who raised the Victory Banner over the Reichstag in Berlin. He was born on July 1, 1916, in the village of Chagar-otar located in Khasavyurtovsky municipal district of Dagestan. He joined the Soviet army in 1939.

Ismailov served on the Ukrainian front and in the reconnaissance company of the 1st Belorussian front during World War II. Together with Alexei Kovalev from Kiev and Leonid Gorychev from Minsk, Abdulkhakim participated in the historic event of raising the Victory Banner on one of the towers of the Reichstag building in spring of 1945.
This moment was immortalized in a famous photo taken by the photojournalist Yevgeny Khaldei.

Although the photo became widely known, it was only later that historians identified the people depicted in it, including Abdulkhakim. On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Victory Day, they searched for the veterans involved in the event.

In 1996, by decree of the President of the Russian Federation, Abdulkhakim Ismailov was awarded the title of Hero of Russia for his courage and heroism during the Second World War. He was also awarded several military orders, including the Order of Patriotic War, the Order of Glory, the Order of the Red Banner as well as the medals for bravery and participation in the liberation of Warsaw and Berlin. During the war, Abdulkhakim was wounded three times.

The veteran passed away on February 16, 2010. He left a lasting legacy in the history of Russia and the world, and in his honor, a school in his home village and an asteroid were named after him.