Brainina (née Markušević) Thea (15.04.1925, Jena, Germany) - history teacher, director of a number of Latvian schools in Riga.

Thea's parents studied at the University of Jena: mother - doctor of philosophy Hanna Markušević (b. in Tukum), father - lawyer Josif Markušević (b. in Jekabpils). In 1928 the family returned to Latvia.

Thea Brainina was educated at the 10th German primary schools and Latvian primary schools, where her teachers were Ernests Brastiņš and Rinke, a collector of Latvian folk dance (she taught physical education), at the Public Jewish School (29 Dzirnavu Street). During the war years she was in evacuation in Komsomolsky district of Ivanovo region. Thea Brainina entered the Ivanovo Pedagogical Institute, Faculty of History, and returned to Riga at the end of 1945 and graduated from the Faculty of History of the University of Latvia.

Her pedagogical practice began in the 14th basic school and in the 5th secondary school as a history teacher. In 1960-76, she was the principal of the 47th basic school and the 5th secondary school (with a German bias). She set up labour camps for high school children on collective farms in Riga (‘Marupe’) and Bauska districts. Until 1984 she worked as a tutor and history teacher at the boarding school ‘Sauriesi’, and at the district education department as a teacher of children with long-term illnesses. Emigrated to Germany.