Born Tallinn, Estonia, November 19, 1916. Died London, October 19, 2008, aged 91.
December 23, 2008 11:31Linguist Vladimir Rubinstein grew up amidst volatile Central European politics to become a vital member of the BBC’s overseas monitoring unit.
As a child he shuttled between the Ukraine, where his medical father was used by both sides of the 1917 Russian revolution, and his grandparents’ home in Tallinn. When Communism prevailed, the family moved in 1923 to Berlin. When Hitler came to power in 1933, they moved to Palestine.
In 1936 “Vova” went to study law at the London School of Economics, finishing his degree at Cambridge.
With the outbreak of the Second World War, his knowledge of Russian, German, French, Hebrew and English was used by the War Office.
He joined the BBC technicians and foreign intellectuals who intercepted and interpreted domestic broadcasts on the continent. Their content gave valuable insight into enemy movements and intentions.
In the Cold War he became head of the reception department, monitoring Communist broadcasts. He was appointed MBE in 1973. He later expressed regret that British broadcasts to occupied Europe played down atrocities against the Jews and did not warn people against participating in them.
He is survived by his wife, daughter and son.