Born on February 27, 1919 in Aktobe. He graduated from 7th grade there and worked as a typesetter for some time. As a schoolboy he sent his first, still very uncertain poems to the children's magazine "Oktyabr Balasy" ("Child of October"), the editor of which was Musa Jalil. After studying at the Paranginsk Teachers' Training College (Mari ASSR), Gaynan Kurmashev worked for several years as a teacher in Paranginsk Raion and Aktobe. He was in charge of school amateur art activities and for some time combined his teaching activities with the duties of an art director in one of the clubs of his native city. At the age of 19, he was appointed school director. In 1939, Gainan Kurmashev was drafted into the army. He graduated from the school of junior commanders, received the title of junior lieutenant. He took part in combat operations of the Soviet-Finnish war. Before the beginning of the Patriotic War, he served in the Gomel region. In the army Gaynan studied radio modeling. This fact, as well as the reputation of a reliable in all respects person predetermined the decision of the military leadership to throw him into the enemy's rear with a special task. In doing so, Gaynan was taken prisoner, where he became one of the leaders of an underground organization in the "Idel-Ural" legion. In February 1944, the Second German Imperial Court sentenced Gaynan Kurmashev to death. The sentence was carried out in Pletcensee prison on the guillotine on August 25, 1944 at 12:06. By the Decree of the President of the USSR of May 5, 1990, Gainan Kurmashev was posthumously awarded the Order of the "Patriotic War" of I degree - for courage and heroism, active underground activities against the Nazi invaders.