Helle Meri (née Pihlak; 14 March 1949 – 8 November 2024) was an Estonian actress who also served as the First Lady of Estonia from 1992 to 2001 as the wife of

Lennart Meri Lennart Georg Meri (; 29 March 1929 – 14 March 2006) was an Estonian writer, film director, and statesman. He was the country's foreign minister from 1990 to 1992 and President of Estonia from 1992 to 2001. Early life Meri was born in Tallin ...

Life and career

Meri was born in the small town of

Rapla Rapla ( (the name ''Rappel'' was also used in other languages in the past) is a Populated places in Estonia, town in north-central Estonia'','' the capital of Rapla County and the centre of Rapla Parish. History The oldest records date back ...

where she also went to school. In her spare time she actively participated in different sports and played basketball. After secondary school, Meri went on to study at the Stage School of Tallinn Conservatory. Before serving as the First Lady, she played in the

Estonian Drama Theatre The Estonian Drama Theatre () 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 originally built for the ...

from 1972 up until 1992 when Lennart Meri became the Estonian Ambassador to Finland prior to his nine years of presidency. The couple married in 1992 when her acting career came to an end. In theatre, Meri had roles in numerous classical pieces to a good critical acclaim, including the pieces by Estonian playwrights like

August Kitzberg August Kitzberg ( in Laatre Parish, Governorate of Livonia, Russian Empire – 10 October 1927 in Tartu) was an Estonian writer. Life Until 1863, August Kitzberg was known as August Kits. He grew up in Niitsaadu farmstead in Penuja village, A ...

A. H. Tammsaare Anton Hansen (18 (O.S.)/30 January 1878 – 1 March 1940), better known by his pseudonym A. H. Tammsaare and its variants, was an Estonian writer whose pentalogy '' Truth and Justice'' (''Tõde ja õigus''; 1926–1933) is considered one of t ...

, Jaan Kross and Jaan Kruusvall among many. She had roles also in

musicals Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movement ...

, in children's plays and in film. Prior to her marriage, Meri was in relationships with actor Jaak Tamleht and composer Eino Tamberg. Meri has one daughter, Tuule (born 1985). Meri was patron of the Estonian

SOS Children's Village SOS Children's Villages is an independent, non-governmental, nonprofit international development organization headquartered in Innsbruck, Austria. The organization provides humanitarian and developmental assistance to families facing difficultie ...

Keila Keila () is a town and an Municipalities of Estonia, urban municipality in Harju County in north-western Estonia, southwest of Tallinn. As of 2021, the town has a population of 10,499 inhabitants. Keila is also the location of administrative b ...

. She died on 8 November 2024, at the age of 75.Suri Helle Meri

References

1949 births 2024 deaths 20th-century Estonian actresses Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre alumni Estonian film actresses Estonian stage actresses People from Rapla Spouses of presidents of Estonia {{Estonia-actor-stub