Danengirsh (Danenhirsch, Danengersh) Grigoriy Iosifovich (29 May 1914, Riga) — legal adviser.
Grigoriy Danengirsh was the son of Gena Danengirsh (1888, Riga – 1966, Riga) and Iosif Danengirsh (1885, Riga – 1963, Riga). He completed his education at S. Gorfinkel’s private gymnasium in Riga in 1933.
Between 1933 and 1934, he served as a private in the 5th Cēsis Infantry Regiment of the Latvian Army. From 1934 to 1936 he was employed as an auto mechanic at the Ford workshop in Riga, followed by work at the Klompus forestry enterprise in 1937, and subsequently at the chemical laboratory “Reka” in 1938–39. During 1939–40, he worked at the Autobenz filling station. In 1940 he participated in reserve training with the 7th Sigulda Infantry Regiment. From 1940 to 1941 he was employed as a literary contributor to the newspaper Proletarskaya Pravda. In 1941–42, he served as an inspector at the district savings bank in Malmyzh, Kirov region.
In 1942, Danengirsh trained as a cadet at the Latvian Reserve Rifle Regiment and served in the 43rd Guards Latvian Rifle Division as a platoon commander's assistant and company sergeant. He was wounded in 1943 and spent time recuperating in Evacuation Hospital No. 3280 on the North-Western Front. Between 1943 and 1944, he worked as a translator in the political department of the 11th Army and the 197th Bryansk Red Banner Division on the Bryansk, 1st Ukrainian and 1st Belorussian Fronts. He was hospitalised again due to a concussion in Vyatskiye Polyany, later relocating to Kinel‑Cherkassy in the Kuybyshev region.
From 1944 to 1945, he was on reserve officer status in units stationed in Vyshny Volochyok, Jelgava and Kharkiv. In 1945–47, he served as a special correspondent for Sovetskaya Molodezh in Riga. Between 1947 and 1950, he held legal advisor positions at several Latvian forestry and transport enterprises, including U.R.S. and Latlestehsnab. From 1950 to 1951, he practised as an advocate at the Livani legal consultancy.
Danengirsh graduated from the All-Union Extramural Institute of Law in 1952. From 1952–54 and again from 1955–61, he was legal adviser to the Riga Bus Depot, and from 1954 to 1955 he was a legal officer in the Latprom Council's legal team. Between 1961 and 1962, he served as chief engineer for operations at the Riga Taxi Park. From 1962 to 1969, he held roles ranging from engineer to head of consumer goods production at the Kommutators factory. From 1969 onwards, he was deputy head of the Materials Department and senior legal advisor at Latkolkhozstrojsnab.
He was awarded medals for Combat Service, the 25th and 30th anniversaries of victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War, and as a Veteran of Labour. He was classified as a second-group war invalid and suffered two myocardial infarctions in 1976 and 1977.
His first marriage, to Sara Cisser (née Berlin Danengirsh) (b. 1921, Riga), ended in 1949; they had one son, Sergei Danengirsh (b. 1941, Khalturin, Kirov region). His second marriage, to Lyudmila Prokofieva (b. 1920, Ostashkov), ended in 1957; their daughter is Yelena Kanaeva (Danengirsh, Prokofieva) (b. 1949, Riga). His third marriage, to Zinaida Danengirsh (née Kikīs, b. 1936, Ventspils), produced a son, Alexander Danengirsh (b. 1958, Riga), and ended in 1971. In his fourth marriage, to Antonina Danengirsh (née Khazhilenko, Sheltik, Rybak; b. 1928, Zhdanov), he adopted her son, Leonid Danengirsh (b. 1963, Riga).
In 1971, Grigoriy Danengirsh received permission to emigrate to Israel, following an invitation from his maternal aunt, Fruma Piratinskaya (…, Riga).
Sara Cisser (née Berlin Danengirsh) (b. 1921, Riga) — first wife
Sergei Danengirsh (b. 1941, Khalturin, Kirov region) — son
Lyudmila Prokofieva (b. 1920, Ostashkov) — second wife
Yelena Kanaeva (Danengirsh, Prokofieva) (b. 1949, Riga) — daughter
Zinaida Danengirsh (née Kikīs) (b. 1936, Ventspils) — third wife
Alexander Danengirsh (b. 1958, Riga) — son
Antonina Danengirsh (née Khazhilenko, Sheltik, Rybak) (b. 1928, Zhdanov) — fourth wife
Leonid Danengirsh (b. 1963, Riga) — adopted son
Gena Danengirsh (1888–1966) — father
Iosif Danengirsh (1885–1963) — mother
Natan‑Nikolai Danengirsh (b. 1929, Riga) — brother
Fruma Piratinskaya (…, Riga) — maternal aunt