Madde Kalda (until 1925 Magdalena Alavina, from 1925 to 1936 Magdalena Kalda, – April 6, 1984) was an

Estonian Estonian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Estonia, a country in the Baltic region in northern Europe * Estonians, people from Estonia, or of Estonian descent * Estonian language * Estonian cuisine * Estonian culture See also

writer.

Life

Madde Kalda was born in Põikma in the

Governorate of Estonia The Governorate of Estonia, also known as the Governorate of Esthonia (Pre-reformed rus, Эстля́ндская губе́рнія, r=Estlyandskaya guberniya); et, Eestimaa kubermang was a governorate in the Baltic region, along with th ...

in the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...

. She was the daughter of the farmer Jaan Alavina (1862–1943) and Ann Alavina (née Kroll) (1874–1952). She attended the Hageri village school and the Hageri Educational Society School, which she graduated from in 1917. She worked as an assistant secretary in the municipal government of

Kernu Kernu is a village in Saue Parish, Harju County in northern Estonia. It is located in the southwestern part of Harju County and is a neighbour to Saue, Keila, Vasalemma and Nissi Parish in Harju County and Kohila, Rapla and Märjamaa parish in ...

, Hageri, and Vao from 1923 to 1925, and then she was a housewife in

Väike-Maarja Väike-Maarja is a Populated places in Estonia, small borough ( et, alevik) in Lääne-Viru County, Estonia. It is the administrative centre of Väike-Maarja Parish. Väike-Maarja Church was initially built as a fortress church. Climate No ...

. She was married to Johannes Kalda (1895–1938), and their daughter was the literary scholar

Maie Kalda Maie Kalda (19 June 1929 – 8 November 2013) was an Estonian literary scholar and critic. Kalda was born in Väike-Maarja, the daughter of the writer Madde Kalda. In 1956 she graduated from Tartu State University in Estonian philology. Since 1 ...

(1929–2013). From 1978 to 1981, she lived in the village of Tamse on the island of

Muhu Muhu (also called Muhumaa in Estonian), is an island in the West Estonian archipelago of the Baltic Sea. With an area of it is the third largest island belonging to Estonia, after Saaremaa and Hiiumaa. Together with neighbouring smaller isl ...

, and then once more in Väike-Maarja, where she also died.

Literary work

In the 1978 Estonian Novel Competition ( et, Eesti romaanivõistlus), her work ''Vigalas Siberimaale'' (From the

Vigala Vigala Parish ( et, Vigala vald) was an Estonian municipality located in Rapla County. It had a population of 1,547 (as of 1 March 2008) and an area of 269.81 km2. Settlements ;Villages: Araste - Avaste - Jädivere - Kausi - Kesu - Kiv ...

Siberia Siberia ( ; rus, Сибирь, r=Sibir', p=sʲɪˈbʲirʲ, a=Ru-Сибирь.ogg) is an extensive geographical region, constituting all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has been a part of ...

) received honorable mention, and it was published in abridged form in 1981 under the title ''Seitse tähte taeva Sõelas'' (Seven Stars in Heaven's Sieve, an espression referring to the Pleides). It was a detailed and factually accurate story based on the author's mother's life story and family traditions, with an abundance of ethnographic material, about the life of the villagers and manor folk of

Lääne County Lääne County ( et, Lääne maakond or ''Läänemaa'', literally "Western land"; german: Wiek; la, Rotalia) is one of 15 counties of Estonia. It is located in western Estonia and borders the Baltic Sea to the north, Harju County to the north-ea ...

in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The work was enthusiastically received.

Awards

*1979: honorable mention in the 1978 Estonian Novel Competition *1982: Eduard Vilde Literary Award (for ''Seitse tähte taeva Sõelas'')

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kalda, Madde 1903 births 1984 deaths 20th-century Estonian women writers 20th-century Estonian novelists Estonian women novelists People from Kohila Parish