Blakhman (Blachmann) Iosel Mendelevich (15.04.1904, Verkhnedvinsk District, Vitebsk Governorate) – general labourer.

In 1920, Iosel Blakhman completed five years of schooling. During 1941–42, while living in Nazi-occupied territory, he and his wife and son helped organise a partisan detachment. He participated in the partisan movement until 1 January 1944. In 1944, he served in the Soviet Army and was demobilised in October of the same year. Until 1950, he lived in Polotsk, Vitebsk Region. In November 1950, he moved to Riga.

From 1967 to 1971, Iosel Blakhman worked as an expediter at the trade and supply base of the Baltic Railway. From 1971 to 1973, he was a transport worker in the procurement department at the “Parizes Komuna” textile plant. In 1974, he worked as a stoker at Housing Administration No. 76 of the Proletarsky District in Riga. He retired later that year.

On 21 April 1976, he officially changed his name from “Iosif” to “Iosel” and patronymic from “Markovich” to “Mendelevich”. In 1988, Iosel Blakhman applied for permission to visit Israel for 90 days.

Iosel Blakhman was a member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from November 1946 (Party card No. 0784105).

He was awarded the medal “For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945.”

In 1924, in Vitebsk Region, Iosel Blakhman married Ida Kalmanovna Blakhman (née Iofik) (1905, Vitebsk Governorate – 1979, Polotsk, Vitebsk Region). They had three children:

Leonid Ioselevich Blakhman (1925, Vitebsk Region – 08.09.1942, Vitebsk Region) – died in action with the Kotovsky Partisan Detachment

Anna Ioselevna Blakhman (1930, Vitebsk Region – 1941, Vitebsk Region) – shot by the Nazis
Berra Ioselevna Blakhman (1936, Vitebsk Region – 1941, Vitebsk Region) – shot by the Nazis

In 1964, in Riga, Iosel Blakhman entered into a civil union with Dzidra Yakovlevna Zalakmen (née Krastiņš) (1930, Riga – (?)).

Father – Mendel Monusovich Blakhman (1871 – 1941, Osveya, Vitebsk Region) – killed during the war
Mother – Faina (Esther?) Abramovna Blakhman (1880 – 1941, Osveya, Vitebsk Region) – shot by the Nazis

Sisters:

Anna Mendelevna Gokhman (née Blakhman) (1912, Verkhnedvinsk District, Vitebsk Governorate – (?))
Raisa Mendelevna Tsaykhner (née Blakhman) (1922, Verkhnedvinsk District, Vitebsk Governorate – (?)) – physician, emigrated to Israel in 1957

Sofiya Mendelevna Berezina (née Blakhman)