Zherbin Mikhail Mikhailovich

Throughout his life, a graduate of LISI (now SPbGASU), DSc in Engineering, Professor Mikhail Zherbin (1911–2004) surprisingly combined different activities: science, construction and music. He achieved excellent results in all areas. He received his first order during the Great Patriotic War.

Mikhail Mikhailovich was born in St Petersburg in a large family of a hereditary military man, Colonel Mikhail Fedorovich Zherbin. All five children were fluent in German before school and studied music. Therefore, Mikhail decided to realize himself in creativity and in 1929 he graduated fr om the Leningrad Music College in piano.

However, a year later he got a job as a draftsman at the Giproshakht Institute and ... stepped into a new activity. It captured the young man's interest so much that already in 1935, after graduating from the Leningrad Institute of Civil Engineering (now SPbGASU) with a degree in civil engineering, he returned to Giproshakht as the head of the metal structures group, and then headed the construction department. In 1936–1940 he worked as a design engineer in Leningrad, then in Kizel city, Perm region. At the same time, in 1940, he graduated from the Musical College at the Leningrad Conservatory in composition and conducting. In 1940–1941 Mikhail Zherbin studied at the composition department of the Leningrad Conservatory.

During the Great Patriotic War, the design engineer built important industrial facilities, designed and took a direct part in the construction of a heavy bombs plant. For this work he was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor. After the liberation of Donbass in early 1944, he was sent to Donetsk, wh ere he was instructed to organize the Central Bureau of Headgear and Mine Equipment (CBHM). For outstanding inventions and fundamental improvements in production methods, he was awarded the Stalin Prize (1948)

In 1955, he defended his PhD thesis "Study of the systems of metal overhead operational headgears." Since 1963, he was engaged in scientific and pedagogical activities at the Kiev Civil Engineering Institute. Published a number of scientific papers. As a composer Mikhail Zherbin wrote several hundred pieces of music.

Laureate of the Stalin Prize of I degree (1948), member of the Union of Composers of the USSR. He was awarded the Order of the Badge of Honor, III degree, the Badge of Miner's Glory, I degree, and medals. Received 14 government awards in total.

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