Rapoport Yakov (Jakow) Davidovich (12 October 1898, Riga — 1 July 1962, Moscow) — hydraulic engineer, Major General of the Engineering and Technical Service (1943).
Yakov Rapoport was born into the family of an office employee. Completed four classes of a Realschule in Voronezh. Member of the RSDRP since January 1917. From 1918 to 1922 studied at Voronezh University (according to other sources, at the Faculty of Law of the University of Dorpat, evacuated to Voronezh).
From August 1918 served in the organs of the Cheka — worked in the Voronezh Provincial Cheka as an investigator, deputy head and head of the legal department, deputy chairman; from 1920 — deputy chairman of the Voronezh Provincial Revolutionary Tribunal, head of the Voronezh provincial criminal investigation department, industrial militia, political commissar and deputy head of the linear administration of the railway militia. Participant in the Russian Civil War (1919–1920). Commanded sapper and construction units and formations.
From 1921 again in the Provincial Cheka — plenipotentiary for political parties, head of the administrative-organizational department and member of the collegium. From February 1922 worked in Moscow as secretary to the People’s Commissar for Foreign Affairs, senior secretary of a department of the People’s Commissariat for Foreign Affairs of the RSFSR; from September of the same year — in economic work in cooperative organizations of the GPU (managing director of the “Laryok” partnership) and in the People’s Commissariat of Agriculture of the RSFSR.
From 1924 in the Economic Directorate of the OGPU — special plenipotentiary, assistant to the head; from 1926 — head of a department. From 1930 — assistant (from 1932 deputy) head of the ULAG–GULAG of the OGPU–NKVD of the USSR; head of construction of the Rybinsk and Uglich hydroelectric complexes; head of the Administration of the Volga Corrective Labour Camp. From 1940 — head of Glavgidrostroy, First Deputy Head of Glavoboronstroy of the NKVD of the USSR.
During the Second World War, in 1942–1943 Yakov Rapoport commanded the 3rd Sapper Army; in 1944–1945 was head of the Directorate of Defensive Construction for a number of fronts. Deputy head of Glavpromstroy of the NKVD of the USSR; head of Tagilstroy and the Tagil ITL Administration; Administration of the ITL of Chelyabmetallurgstroy; Glavgidrostroy (1947–1949); Glavgidrovolgondonstroy (1949–1952); Glavgidrovolgobalstroy and the Administration of the Volga–Baltic ITL of the MVD (1952–1953). From 1953 — head of Glavrechstroi of the Ministry of Transport Construction of the USSR.
Discharged to the reserve of the MVD on 6 June 1956. From 1957 he worked as Deputy Director of the institute “Gidroproekt”.
Awarded two Orders of Lenin, the Order of the Red Banner, the Order of the Patriotic War (1st Class), the Order of the Red Star, medals, and two badges “Honoured Worker of the Cheka–GPU”.
Buried at Novodevichy Cemetery.