Katrin Välbe (until 1929 Jekaterina Poska; 31 October 1904 – 5 July 1981) was an

Estonia Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, a ...

n actress. Katrin Välbe was born Jekaterina Poska in

Võru Võru (; vro, Võro; german: Werro) is a town and a municipality in south-eastern Estonia. It is the capital of Võru County and the centre of Võru Parish. History Võru was founded on 21 August 1784, according to the wish of the Empress Cather ...

to Gabriel and Lydia Poska. Her father was a lawyer and her uncles included statesman

Jaan Poska Jaan Poska VR III/1 (; , Laiusevälja, Kreis Dorpat, Governorate of Livonia – 7 March 1920, Tallinn, Estonia) was an Estonian barrister and politician. Early life Poska was born the fifth of 12 children of a Russian Orthodox parish school ...

, politician Mihkel Poska, and

Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church The Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church ( et, Eesti Apostlik-Õigeusu Kirik; EOC) is an Orthodox church in Estonia under the direct jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople. Under Estonian law it is the legal successor to the pre ...

clergymen Nikolai and Paul Poska. After graduating from secondary school, she initially enrolled at the

University of Tartu The University of Tartu (UT; et, Tartu Ülikool; la, Universitas Tartuensis) is a university in the city of Tartu in Estonia. It is the national university of Estonia. It is the only classical university in the country, and also its biggest ...

in 1922 to study medical sciences, leaving after one year. In 1930, she graduated from the Drama Theatre School in

Tallinn Tallinn () is the most populous and capital city of Estonia. Situated on a bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, Tallinn has a population of 437,811 (as of 2022) and administratively lies in the Harju ' ...

, having studied under drama pedagogue Hilda Gleser. From 1931 until 1944, she worked at Tallinna Töölisteater, from 1945 until 1946 at

Noorsooteater NUKU Theatre ( et, NUKU teater, formerly ''Estonian State Puppet Theatre and Estonian Puppet and Youth Theatre'') is an Estonian theatre located in Tallinn. The institution focuses on puppetry. It is currently the only professional puppet and visu ...

, 1946 until 1949 at

Estonia Theatre Estonia Theatre is an historic building in Tallinn, Estonia, which houses the Estonian National Opera and the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra. The original Jugendstil building was designed by Finnish architects Armas Lindgren and Wivi L� ...

, and from 1949 until 1951 and again from 1952 until 1971 at

Estonian Drama Theatre The Estonian Drama Theatre ( et, Eesti Draamateater) is a theatre in Tallinn, Estonia. It has the role of a national theatre for Estonia. The Estonia Theatre is located next door. History The building that houses the Estonian Drama Theatre was or ...

. Besides theatrical roles, she also performed as a film actress beginning in the early 1950s, as well as appearing in radio plays and several television films. In 1958, Välbe was awarded as Meritorious Artist of the Estonian SSR. She died in Tallinn in 1981 and was buried at Tallinn's Forest Cemetery.

Selected filmography

* 1951 ''Valgus Koordis'' (role: Aino's mother) * 1955 ''Kui saabub õhtu'' (role: Inn matron) * 1955 ''Andruse õnn'' * 1956 ''Tagahoovis'' (role: Veika) * 1957 ''Pöördel'' (role: Anu Vett) * 1959 ''Veealused karid'' (role: Mihkel's wife) * 1959 ''Vallatud kurvid'' * 1960 ''Vihmas ja päikeses'' (role: Commandant) * 1962 ''

Jääminek This is a list of most notable films produced in Estonia and in the Estonian language in chronological order. 1912–1918 List of Estonian films made in Governorate of Estonia and Governorate of Livonia of the Russian Empire 1918–1940 Lis ...

'' (role: Maris Jõgel) * 1966 ''Ühe suve akvarellid'' (role: Juula) * 1968 ''Pimedad aknad'' (role: Grandmother Hirlanda) * 1969 ''Gladiaator'' (role: Reet) * 1971 ''Tuuline rand'' (role: Anu) * 1971 ''Metskapten'' * 1979 ''Naine kütab sauna'' (role: Aita)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Valbe, Katrin 1904 births 1981 deaths Estonian stage actresses Estonian film actresses Estonian radio actresses Estonian television actresses 20th-century Estonian actresses People from Võru Burials at Metsakalmistu