Vladimir Beekman (23 August 1929 – 3 October 2009) 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 writer, poet and translator.

Early life and education

After completing his primary education, he attended the

Tallinn University of Technology Established in 1918, Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech; et, Tallinna Tehnikaülikool) is the only technical university in Estonia. TalTech, in the capital city of Tallinn, is a university for engineering, business, public administratio ...

and graduated in 1953 with a degree in chemistry. From 1953 to 1956, he was head of the fiction department at the

Estonian State Publishing House Estonian State Publishing House ( et, Eesti Riiklik Kirjastus, abbreviation ERK) was a Soviet Estonian state publisher. The publisher existed between 1949 and 1964. Its successor is Eesti Raamat. The headquarter located in Tallinn. During its exi ...

, after which he decided to become a freelance writer.

Career

After 1968, he served on the board of the

Estonian Writers' Union The Estonian Writers Union (Eesti Kirjanike Liit, abbreviated EKL), is a professional association of Estonian writers and literary critics.Marje Jõeste, Küllo Arjakas, ''The Baltic States'', Estonian Encyclopaedia Publishers, 1991, page 64 Hist ...

, rising from Secretary to Chairman, in 1983. He was also involved in politics, being a member of the and representing Estonia in the

Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union The Supreme Soviet of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics ( rus, Верховный Совет Союза Советских Социалистических Республик, r=Verkhovnyy Sovet Soyuza Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respubl ...

. In 1975, he was named an Honored Writer of the Estonian SSR.

Personal life

He was married to

Aimée Beekman Aimée Beekman ( Malla; born 20 April 1933) is an Estonian writer noted in her country for several books said to present realistic depictions of modern life. Amongst her works is ''Valikuvõimalus'' or ''An Opportunity for Choice'', which involves ...

(née Malla), a graduate of the

Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography The Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography (russian: Всероссийский государственный институт кинематографии имени С. А. Герасимова, meaning ''All-Russian State Institute of Cinemat ...

, who was also a successful and widely translated author. They worked together on an important film, ''Fellow Villagers'', that showed some freedom from Soviet control. The plot involved an unsuccessful espionage attempt from a Western country, but it did exhibit some Post-Stalinist freedoms. In particular, it explored the daily problems of fishermen who are portrayed as real people with alternative views which are not cast as either right or wrong.

References

External links

Vladimir Beekman at Estonian Writers' Online Dictionary
1929 births 2009 deaths Writers from Tallinn Members of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Estonia Members of the Supreme Soviet of the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic, 1975–1980 Members of the Supreme Soviet of the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic, 1980–1985 Eighth convocation members of the Soviet of Nationalities Eleventh convocation members of the Soviet of Nationalities Estonian male poets Estonian translators 20th-century Estonian poets 20th-century Estonian writers 20th-century male writers 20th-century translators Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography alumni Tallinn University of Technology alumni Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner of Labour Recipients of the Order of Friendship of Peoples Recipients of the Order of the White Star, 4th Class Burials at Rahumäe Cemetery {{estonia-translator-stub