Hirshovich (Hirschowich, Girshovich) Khonon (Honon) Iosifovich (b. 1913 – ?) – industrial chemist and senior production manager.
Khonon Hirshovich began his professional career in 1931 as a trainee at the “Alkaln” plant in Riga. From January 1934 to December 1936, he worked as a foreman and department head at a chemical plant in Warsaw. After completing one year of military service in Latvia as a private, he worked from 1937 to June 1941 at the “Zasulauka Triecnieks” chemical plant as a foreman, department head, and later chief engineer.
Following the outbreak of the Second World War, he was evacuated from Riga to Gus-Khrustalny in Ivanovo Oblast, where he worked as a shift supervisor at the Dzerzhinsky Glass Factory. From December 1942 to January 1944, he served in the Soviet Army, fighting as part of the 43rd Guards Rifle Division. He was wounded and subsequently demobilised.
After the war, he returned to Latvia and held leading positions in the Latvian SSR chemical industry. From 1945 to 1955, he served as director of the “Zasulauka Triecnieks” chemical plant, and from 1955 to 1970, as director of the Riga Chemical Combine. From 1970 to 1975, he headed Production Unit No. 2 of the Latvbytchim company, and from 1975 to 1978, held the same position within the newly formed Latvbytchim industrial association. From 1978 to August 1987, he was Deputy General Director of Latvbytchim.
Throughout his career, Hirshovich made a substantial contribution to the development of the industry. He held 29 authorship certificates for inventions. In 1960, he was awarded the State Prize of the Latvian SSR. In 1966, he was honoured with the title Honoured Industrial Worker of the Latvian SSR.
He was also active in public and political life: he served as an agitator, propagandist, member of the party bureau for many years, and from 1960 chaired the comrades’ court of the Latvbytchim administration.
Awards and Honours:
– Order of the Patriotic War, 1st and 2nd Class
– Order of the Red Banner of Labour
– Nine medals
– State Prize of the Latvian SSR (1960)
– Honorary title: Honoured Industrial Worker of the Latvian SSR (1966).
Disability status from the war: Group 3