Dubin Herbert (Gerbert) Germanovich (born 21 August 1919, Riga) – historian.
Dubin's father, German Dubin (date of birth unknown – 1940s), was co-owner of one of Riga's manufacturing stores. During the economic crisis of 1932, the store went bankrupt, and D.'s father continued to work as a simple salesman. In 1938, Herbert Dubin enrolled in the history department of the University of Latvia (majoring in art history). At the same time, he began to participate in the work of underground Komsomol organisations. In 1941, he graduated from the University of Latvia. In the same year, Herbert Dubin married Rakhil Dubina (Rachek) (1919 - date of death unknown), whom he met at underground meetings of Latvian Komsomol members.
After the war began, Herbert Dubin joined a volunteer student detachment, which was transferred to Cesis. From there, he was evacuated to Pskov. From 1941 to 1943, he was a secondary school teacher in Grad-Kustove. In 1944, he served in the active army in the 1st Separate Latvian Reserve Rifle Regiment. He was wounded. After recovering, from 1944 to 1946, he worked in the NKGB/MGB (People's Commissariat for State Security/Ministry for State Security) and was stationed in Dresden (Soviet Military Administration of Germany) on official duty. At that time, Herbert Dubin began living in a civil marriage with Ekaterina Tarasova (1913–1986). Dubin's son, Vladislav Tarasov (1947), was born in Dresden.
After demobilisation, in 1947, Herbert Dubin returned to scientific work and was a research fellow at the State Historical Museum in Riga and a teacher at the J. Rosental Art School. He graduated from the Evening University of Marxism-Leninism by correspondence. From 1952 to 1956, he was a teacher at the J. Medinja Music School in Riga, and from 1956 to 1958, he was a teacher at the Riga Technical School for Cultural Workers. From 1958 to 1986, Dubin was a senior lecturer at the State Academy of Arts of the Latvian SSR. After retiring in 1986, he continued to give lectures on the history of culture, design theory, and the art of socialist countries.
Herbert Dubin was a member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1966. He was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, 2nd class, the medals ‘For Victory over Germany’ and ‘For Military Merit,’ the anniversary medal ‘Veteran of Labour,’ and certificates of honour from the Council of Ministers of the Latvian SSR and the Ministry of Culture of the Latvian SSR.
Thanks to his official position and merits, Dubin had the opportunity to travel, and from 1965 to 1985, he visited Austria, France, East Germany, and Hungary.
He was a member of the board of the Latvian Artists' Union, a member of the republican board of the ‘Knowledge’ society, a member of the organising committee of the Latvian Designers' Association, and a member of the bureau for technical periodicals at the State Planning Committee of the Latvian SSR.
His parents, German Dubin (date of birth unknown - 1940s) and Dina Dubina (Shereshevskaya) (date of birth unknown – 1940s) and brother Siegfried Dubin (1922 – 1940s) died in the Riga ghetto during the war. Of hiss close relatives, only his mother's brother, Grigory Shereshevsky (1883–date of death unknown), managed to survive the war: in the early 1930s, he left Latvia for France.
Herbert Dubin had no information about the fate of his first wife after their de facto divorce in 1946 (the divorce was only registered in the 1980s). His second wife, Ekaterina Tarasova (1913–1986), is buried in Riga. His son from his second marriage, Vladislav Tarasov (1947), moved to the United States with his family in 1979. After his son's departure, Dubin was given a party reprimand for insufficient educational work in the family (removed in 1981).
After his son's departure and the death of his second wife, Herbert Dubin was left alone. In 1987, he married for the third time: to Lauma Ratniece (1961), a student at the State Academy of Arts.
German Dubin (date of birth unknown - 1940s) - father
Dina Dubina (Shereshevskaya) (date of birth unknown - 1940s) - mother
Siegfried Dubin (1922 - 1940s) - brother
Rakhil Dubina (Rachek) (1919 – date of death unknown) – first wife
Ekaterina Tarasova (1913 – 1986) – second wife
Vladislav Tarasov (1947) – son
Lauma Ratniece (1961) — third wife
Grigory Shereshevsky (1883 — date of death unknown) — mother’s brother.