Virve Aruoja (since 1978 Virve Aruoja-Hellström; 19 February 1922

Saduküla Saduküla is a village in Jõgeva Parish, Jõgeva County in 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, ...

– 15 September 2013) 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 television and film director and former actress. Aruoja graduated from 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 ...

's Tartu Teachers' Seminary in 1941. She studied at the State Drama Studio in Tallinn from 1945 until 1947, then continued her studies at the Estonian Studio of the

Russian Institute of Theatre Arts The Russian Institute of Theatre Arts (GITIS) (russian: Российский институт театрального искусства – ГИТИС) is the largest and oldest independent theatrical arts school in Russia. Located in Moscow, ...

(GITIS) in

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

, graduating in 1953. In 1984 received a master's degree in philology from

Uppsala University Uppsala University ( sv, Uppsala universitet) is a public university, public research university in Uppsala, Sweden. Founded in 1477, it is the List of universities in Sweden, oldest university in Sweden and the Nordic countries still in opera ...

in Sweden. From 1942 until 1945, she was an actress and member of the

Vanemuine Vanemuine () is a theatre in Tartu, Estonia. It was the first Estonian language theatre. History ''1870–1906 The Beginning of the Beginning. Koidula’s Theatre, Wiera’s Theatre.'' On June 24, 1870 was the first day in Estonian theatre ...

Opera Choir. From 1945 until 1947, she was engaged as an actress at the

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 ...

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 ' ...

. In 1947, she returned to Tartu and the Vanemuine as an actress until 1949. From 1953 until 1956, she returned to the stage of the Estonian Drama Theatre. From 1956 until 1978, she was an assistant director and director at

Eesti Televisioon Eesti Televisioon (ETV) ( en, Estonian Television) is an Estonian free-to-air television channel owned and operated by Estonian Public Broadcasting. It made its first broadcast on 19 July 1955. History Eesti Televisioon (''Estonian Televisi ...

(ETV), and a film director at

Tallinnfilm Tallinnfilm is the oldest surviving film studio in Estonia. It was founded as Estonian Culture Film in 1931, and was nationalized in 1940 after Estonia was forced into the Soviet Union. During the first year of Soviet Occupation During Worl ...

from 1972 until 1976. In 2001 she was awarded with

Order of the White Star The Order of the White Star ( et, Valgetähe teenetemärk; french: Ordre de l'Etoile Blanche) was instituted in 1936. The Order of the White Star is bestowed on Estonia Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic ...

, V class. Aruoja lived in Sweden from 1978 until 1994, when she returned to Estonia. She spent the last years of her life on the island of

Hiiumaa Hiiumaa (, ) is the second largest island in Estonia and is part of the West Estonian archipelago, in the Baltic Sea. It has an area of 989 km2 and is 22 km from the Estonian mainland. Its largest town is Kärdla. It is located within H ...

Selected filmography

* 1960 ''Näitleja Joller'' (television film; director) * 1962 ''Romantikud'' (television film; director) * 1966 ''Ühe suve akvarellid'' (television film; director) * 1968 ''Tädi Rose'' (television film; director) * 1970 ''Kolme katku vahel'' (television film; director) * 1971 ''Lõppematu päev'' (television film; director) * 1973 ''Laulab Tiit Kuusik'' (music film; director) * 1974 "Ooperiball" (music film; scenarist) * 1974 ''Värvilised unenäod'' (feature film; director) * 1976 ''Minu naine sai vanaemaks'' (television film; director and scenarist)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aruoja, Virve 1922 births 2013 deaths Estonian film directors Estonian screenwriters Estonian stage actresses 20th-century Estonian actresses Recipients of the Order of the White Star, 4th Class University of Tartu alumni Uppsala University alumni People from Jõgeva Parish Estonian emigrants to Sweden Soviet expatriates in Sweden Soviet actresses