Vaino Väljas (28 March 1931 – 16 January 2024) was a
Soviet
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
and Estonian diplomat and politician. Väljas was leader of the
Communist party in Soviet Estonia in 1988–1991, and the leader of
Democratic Estonian Workers Party in 1992–1995 in independent Estonia.
Biography
Vaino Väljas was born on 28 March 1931 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 ...
in
Estonia
Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, and to the east by Ru ...
. After Estonia had been occupied and annexed in 1940, and invaded and reoccupied in 1944 by the
Soviet Union under Stalin's leadership, Väljas became a member of the Soviet Communist Party in 1952. In 1955, he graduated from
Tartu State University
The University of Tartu (UT; ; ) is a Public university, public research university located in the city of Tartu, Estonia. It is the national university of Estonia. It is also the largest and oldest university in the country.[Komsomol
The All-Union Leninist Young Communist League, usually known as Komsomol, was a political youth organization in the Soviet Union. It is sometimes described as the youth division of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU), although it w ...]
. From 1955 to 1961 he held the office of First Secretary of the Central Committee of the
Leninist Young Communist League of Estonia. From 1961 to 1971, Väljas was First Secretary of the Tallinn City Committee of the
Communist Party of Estonia
The Communist Party of Estonia (, abbreviated EKP; in Russian: Коммунистическая партия Эстонии) was a regional branch of the CPSU, Soviet communist party (CPSU) which in 1920–1940 operated illegally in Estonia an ...
. He was the Chairman of the 6th Supreme Soviet of the
Estonian SSR
The Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic, (abbreviated Estonian SSR, Soviet Estonia, or simply Estonia ) was an administrative subunit ( union republic) of the former Soviet Union (USSR), covering the occupied and annexed territory of Estonia ...
in 1963–1967. From 1971 to 1980, he was Secretary of the Central Committee of the Estonian communist party. Since Väljas was considered to have Estonian "
nationalist
Nationalism is an idea or movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the State (polity), state. As a movement, it presupposes the existence and tends to promote the interests of a particular nation,Anthony D. Smith, Smith, A ...
inclinations", he was removed from Estonia by the then communist party leadership in Moscow, and instead appointed by the Soviet central government as the
Ambassador
An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or so ...
of the Soviet Union to
Venezuela
Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...
in 1980, and to
Nicaragua
Nicaragua, officially the Republic of Nicaragua, is the geographically largest Sovereign state, country in Central America, comprising . With a population of 7,142,529 as of 2024, it is the third-most populous country in Central America aft ...
in 1986.
As the
Singing Revolution
The Singing Revolution was a series of events from 1987 to 1991 that led to the restoration of independence of the three Soviet-occupied Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania at the end of the Cold War. The term was coined by a ...
along with the Estonian independence movement both gained momentum in 1988, the relatively "liberal communist" Väljas was recalled by the Soviet leadership from Nicaragua and appointed by
Gorbachev as leader of the communist party in the Soviet-occupied Estonia. Formally, he was first secretary of the Communist Party of the Estonian SSR from 16 June 1988 to April 1990, and its chairman from April 1990 to August 1991. The Communist party lost its monopoly of power in February 1990. Väljas later voted for the
Estonian Restoration of Independence in August 1991.
Väljas died on 16 January 2024, at the age of 92.
Awards
*
Order of Lenin
The Order of Lenin (, ) was an award named after Vladimir Lenin, the leader of the October Revolution. It was established by the Central Executive Committee on 6 April 1930. The order was the highest civilian decoration bestowed by the Soviet ...
(1965)
* 3
Orders of the Red Banner of Labour (1958, 1971, and 1973)
*
Order of Friendship of Peoples
The Order of Friendship of Peoples () was an order of the Soviet Union, and was awarded to persons (including non-citizens), organizations, enterprises, military units, as well as administrative subdivisions of the USSR for accomplishments in s ...
(1981)
*
Order of the National Coat of Arms
The Order of the National Coat of Arms (, ) was instituted by Konstantin Päts on 7 October 1936 to commemorate 24 February 1918, the day on which Estonian independence was declared. The Order of the National Coat of Arms is bestowed only on Est ...
(2002)
*
Order of the White Star
The Order of the White Star (; ) was instituted in 1936. The Order of the White Star is bestowed on Estonian citizens and foreigners to give recognition for services rendered to the Estonian state.
Design
Classes
The Order of the White Star ...
(2006)
*
Aadu Luukas Mission Award (2017)
* (2021)
*
Order of the Liberator (
Venezuela
Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...
, 1986)
Notes
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Valjas, Vaino
1931 births
2024 deaths
People from Hiiumaa Parish
Heads of the Communist Party of Estonia
Members of the Supreme Soviet of the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic, 1971–1975
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
Members of the Supreme Soviet of the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic, 1985–1990
Resigned Communist Party of the Soviet Union members
Voters of the Estonian restoration of Independence
Seventh convocation members of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union
Eighth convocation members of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union
Ambassadors of the Soviet Union to Nicaragua
Ambassadors of the Soviet Union to Venezuela
University of Tartu alumni
Recipients of the Order of Lenin
Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner of Labour
Recipients of the Order of Friendship of Peoples
Recipients of the Order of the National Coat of Arms, 3rd Class
Recipients of the Order of the White Star, 2nd Class