Khodak Lev Zalmanovich (1919)

Khodak Lev Zalmanovich (15.09.1919, Dvinsk (Daugavpils)) — cutter. In 1926, enrolled in school but was forced to leave at 12 to work, first as an apprentice and then as a last maker. In 1934, moved to Riga in search of work, where he worked for various employers at low wages and, as a Polish subject, paid various taxes to the Latvian authorities. All this pushed him to join an illegal youth communist organisation. In 1938, Kh. was arrested and sentenced to 3 years' imprisonment in a correctional house (due to being a minor, the sentence was reduced by 1/3). In May 1940, under military escort, Kh. was delivered to the Soviet border, since with his Polish citizenship further residence on the territory of Latvia was forbidden. For violating the USSR state border, Kh. was sentenced to 3 years' imprisonment. In 1944, joined the ranks of the active Soviet Army. In October 1945, was demobilised in Czechoslovakia, and in December of the same year arrived in Riga where he received a Soviet passport. In 1946–48, worked as a watchman at the “Laima” factory; 1948–50 — last maker at the “Pioneris” factory; then — cutter at the rubber products plant “Meteors.” In 1959, applied for permission to leave for the Polish People's Republic. In 1947, married Khodak (née Lat) Elizaveta Pinkhusovna. Two sons and a daughter were born.
Father — worked as a baker. Mother — sold newspapers.
Brother Khodak Zalkin Zalmanovich (1915, Poland — 1942) — from 1919 lived in Latvia; worked in Dvinsk and then in Riga as a fitter; in 1934, arrested for communist activity and sentenced to 5 years' hard labour, but due to being a minor, sentence reduced by 1/3; in 1940, came to the USSR and in 1941, voluntarily joined the Soviet Army; killed fighting against the German invaders.
Brother Khodak Mordukh Zalmanovich (1922, Daugavpils — 1944) — joined the Soviet Army; killed on the front.