Jüri Kukk (May 1, 1940 – March 27, 1981, Russia) was an Estonian professor of

chemistry Chemistry is the science, scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a natural science that covers the Chemical element, elements that make up matter to the chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules and ions ...

, a political prisoner, who died in the Soviet

labor camp A labor camp (or labour camp, see spelling differences) or work camp is a detention facility where inmates are forced to engage in penal labor as a form of punishment. Labor camps have many common aspects with slavery and with prisons (especi ...

at Vologda after several months of being on hunger strike and psychiatric treatments. Kukk was born in Pärnu. He resigned from the

Communist Party of the Soviet Union "Hymn of the Bolshevik Party" , headquarters = 4 Staraya Square, Moscow , general_secretary = Vladimir Lenin (first) Mikhail Gorbachev (last) , founded = , banned = , founder = Vladimir Lenin , newspaper ...

in 1978 and was subsequently fired from the post of

associate professor Associate professor is an academic title with two principal meanings: in the North American system and that of the ''Commonwealth system''. Overview In the ''North American system'', used in the United States and many other countries, it is a ...

of chemistry at Tartu University. He was also refused permission to emigrate. Rein Taagepera, "Estonia: Return to Independence
p. 113-115
/ref> Jüri Kukk was arrested in February 1980 "for distribution of anti-Soviet

Propaganda Propaganda is communication that is primarily used to influence or persuade an audience to further an agenda, which may not be objective and may be selectively presenting facts to encourage a particular synthesis or perception, or using loaded ...

"."Around the World; Estonian Dissident, 40, Said to Die in Soviet Camp"

References and notes

20th-century Estonian educators Estonian chemists Soviet dissidents People who died on hunger strike Resigned Communist Party of the Soviet Union members Estonian people who died in Soviet detention 1940 births 1981 deaths Academic staff of the University of Tartu People from Pärnu {{estonia-academic-bio-stub