Vapne (Wapne) Gidaly Eselevich (born 6 April 1923, Līvāni – ?) – manual labourer.

After completing six grades at the Jewish primary school in Līvāni, Gidaly Vapne worked at the Līvāni peat factory (1936–1937). From 1937 to 1938, he apprenticed as a butcher at a private enterprise. From 1938 to 1939, he trained as a sausage maker at Boginsky’s private business. From 1939 to 1940, he worked as a meat cutter and sausage deliveryman for the Heimanson company in Riga, and from 1940 to 1941, he was a butcher at a state cooperative in Līvāni.

From 1941 to 1945, Gidaly Vapne served in the Soviet army in the 123rd Regiment of the Latvian Guards Division (locations: Novosokolniki, Vyshny Volochyok, Latvia – Courland Pocket). He was wounded twice, in 1943 and 1944.

From 1946 to 1947, he worked as a shop assistant at the 2nd City Food Distribution Store in Riga. From 1947 to 1949, he was a procurement worker for the “Raznoprom” artel, and from 1949 to 1959, for the “Cīņa” artel. He worked at a toy factory (1959–1960), then as a butcher at Meat Store No. 2 of the Riga Central Food Supply (1960–1961), a storekeeper at the “Dzintars” restaurant in Jūrmala (1961–1962), and from 1962 to 1966, again as a sales assistant at the 2nd City Industrial Trade Store in Riga.

Gidaly Vapne was awarded the Order of Glory, 3rd Class, and the medals “For Victory over Germany,” “25 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945,” and “50 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR.”

In 1946, Gidaly Vapne married Ella Uryevna Vapne. They had two children: Iosel Gidalievich Vapne (son) and Bella Gidalievna Vapne (b. 7 November 1954, Riga) – daughter.

Family tragedy in the Holocaust:

– Father: Iosif-Esel Lazarevich Vapne (b. 1892, Līvāni – d. 1941, Līvāni) – shot by the Nazis
– Mother: Riva-Liya Menasovna Vapne (née Fainshtein) (b. 1896, Līvāni – d. 1941, Līvāni) – shot by the Nazis

– Brothers:

– Ioel Eselevich Vapne (b. 1926, Līvāni – d. 1941, Līvāni) – shot by the Nazis
– Lazer Eselevich Vapne (b. 1918, Līvāni – d. 1941, Opocheka) – killed in combat
– Misha-Menasha Eselevich Vapne (b. 1924, Līvāni – d. 1941, Poland) – died during the war
– Moshe Eselevich Vapne (b. 1931, Līvāni) – emigrated to Israel (Haifa) via Poland in 1945

– Sisters:

– Minna Eselevna Vapne (b. 1935, Līvāni – d. 1941, Līvāni) – shot by the Nazis
– Roza Eselevna Korotkina (née Vapne) (b. 1920, Līvāni – d. 1941, Līvāni) – shot by the Nazis

In 1970, the Deputy Chairman of the KGB under the Council of Ministers of the Latvian SSR deemed Vapne’s request for permanent emigration to Israel as “inadvisable.”