Gurdjiev Arkady Yusupovich (born 27 December 1906, Belogorsk – date of death unknown) – cobbler

Arkady Gurdjiev received a primary education, completing the first grade in 1914. From 1918 to 1921, he trained in the cobbler’s trade and worked for a master craftsman, Lambroze, until 1925. He then relocated to Yevpatoria in the Crimean Region, where he worked from 1925 to 1927 as an independent shoemaker under patent, and from 1927 to 1932 as a cobbler in the “Complete Collectivisation” shoemaking artel. Between 1932 and 1941, he worked as a photographer in the “Photo” artel.

During the Second World War:

In 1941, he served in the Red Army as a cook with the 317th Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment and the 885th Rifle Regiment in Lisichansk and Voroshilovgrad, Ukrainian SSR.

From 1941 to 1942, he was a cook in the 51st Reserve Rifle Regiment in Katakurgan, Uzbek SSR.

Until 1945, he served as a rifleman in the 25th Aviation Regiment in Ivanovo.

After demobilisation, he moved to Simferopol and resumed work as a cobbler at the local industrial combine for the railway district. In the immediate post-war years, he relocated to Lviv and worked from 1947 to 1953 as a cobbler in the “Paris Commune” artel.

In June 1953, Gurdjiev settled in Riga, where he held various positions:

1953–57: Cobbler at the Riga District Industrial Combine

1957–59: Cobbler in the “Rīgas Apavnieks” artel
1959–60: Cobbler at the leather and footwear combine

1960–62: Cobbler at the Lenin District Household Services Combine in Riga

1962–67: Cobbler at the Riga District Industrial Combine

1967–69: Retired with pension

1969: Cobbler in the workers’ supply department of the Riga Baltic Railways Directorate

1969–70: Shoe repairer at the Riga District Household Services Combine

Sep–Nov 1970: Cobbler at the Military Supply Combine No. 177, Riga

In November 1970, Arkady Gurdjiev relocated to Sevastopol, working as a shoe craftsman at Military Supply Combine No. 760 until 1972. From May 1972, he returned to Riga, serving as a shoe repairer at Military Supply Combine No. 177. In 1973, he applied for permission to emigrate permanently to Israel; he was awarded the medal For Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War, 1941–1945.

Family

First marriage (1931): Faina Lvovna Chubis (née Berezan, born 1914, Ukrainian territory), reported widowed during the war and remarried; resided in Uman.

Daughter: Polina Arkadyevna Sherman (née Gurdjieva, b. 1931, Yevpatoria) – resided in Uman
Son: Ilya Arkadyevich Gurdjiev (b. 1937, Yevpatoria) – cutter in shoe factory, resided in Uman

Second marriage (1954, Riga): Victoria Konstantinovna Rosen (née Nesvizhskaya, born 1923, Dnepropetrovsk); divorced in 1969

Third marriage (20 March 1971): Sofia Tkacheva (born 1915, Crimea); divorced 19 January 1972

Fourth marriage (18 April 1972): remarried Victoria Konstantinovna Rosen

Parents

Father: Yusup Moiseevich Gurdjiev (1867–1921, Belogorsk) – cobbler
Mother: Tova Ilinichna Gurdjieva (née Bakshi, 1869–1941, Yevpatoria)

Siblings

Mikhail Yusupovich Gurdjiev (1909–1941, Simferopol)
Semyon Yusupovich Gurdjiev (1915–1941, Yevpatoria)

Extended family

Sister-in-law (second wife): Tatyana Konstantinovna Nesvizhskaya (born 1918, Dnepropetrovsk) – employed in an Israeli hotel