Kaljo Kiisk (3 December 1925 – 20 September 2007) was a Soviet and Estonian actor, film director, screenwriter and politician. He was best known for his roles as from ''Spring'' (), ''Summer'' (''Suvi'') and ''Autumn'' (''Sügis''), film adaptations of

Oskar Luts Oskar Luts ( – 23 March 1953) was an Estonian writer and playwright. Biography Oskar Luts was born into a middle-class family in Järvepera, central Estonia, at that time in the governorate of Livonia (Russian Empire). His younger brother was ...

' novels, and as Johannes Saarepera from

ETV ETV may stand for: Television * Educational television, the use of television in education * Enhanced TV, an interactive television application specification Africa * e.tv, South Africa * ETV (Ethiopia), Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation * ETV G ...

's long-running ''

Õnne 13 Õnne 13 is an Estonian dramatic TV series that airs on ETV. The series first aired on 30 October 1993 and was written by Astrid Reinla and as of 1996 by Teet Kallas. Rainer Kerge. Vabandage, proua, kas see maja on Õnne tänav 13?'. Õhtule ...

''. His career spanned over half a century from 1953 to 2007.

Early life

Kiisk was born and raised in Vaivina. In 1944, aged 18, he served in the

anti-aircraft Anti-aircraft warfare (AAW) is the counter to aerial warfare and includes "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It encompasses surface-based, subsurface ( submarine-launched), and air-ba ...

unit of the

20th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Estonian) The 20th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Estonian) was a foreign infantry division of the Waffen-SS that served alongside the ''Wehrmacht'' during World War II. According to some sources, the division was under ''Reichsführer-SS'' Hei ...

, and took part in the

Battle of Tannenberg Line The Battle of Tannenberg Line (; ) or the Battle of the Blue Hills () was a military engagement between the German Army Detachment Narwa and the Soviet Leningrad Front. They fought for the strategically important Narva Isthmus from 25 Jul ...

. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, he managed to obscure his military service from the Soviet occupiers. In 1946, he graduated from the

Rakvere Rakvere is the administrative center, or county seat, of Lääne-Viru County in northern Estonia, about 100 km southeast of Tallinn and 20 km south of the Gulf of Finland and the Baltic Sea. Rakvere boasts a distinctive architectural feature: th ...

1st Secondary School and enrolled at the

Tallinn University of Technology Established in 1918, Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech; ) is the only Institute of technology, technical university in Estonia. TalTech, in the capital city of Tallinn, is a university for engineering, business, public administration a ...

. He switched the next year to the ESSR State Theatre Institute and in 1948, to the

Russian Institute of Theatre Arts The Russian Institute of Theatre Arts (GITIS) () is the largest and oldest independent drama school, theatrical arts school in Russia. Located in Moscow, the school was founded on 22 September 1878 as the Shostakovsky Music School. It became the ...

. Graduating in 1953, he returned to Estonia and joined 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 ...

Career

Stage, film and television

His first play was an adaptation of

' novel ''Spring'' (), staged together with Kulno Süvalep in 1954, in which Kiisk played the part of the bright yet restless Joosep Toots. From 1955 to 1990, he worked as an actor and 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 integrated into the Soviet Union. During the first year of Soviet occcupation (1940 ...

. His most notable works as a director included ''Naughty Curves'' (1959) and '' Dangerous Curves'' (1961), ''Madness'' (1969) and ''Nipernaadi'' (1983) He wrote the screenplay of the 1969 film ''Spring'', an adaptation of Oskar Luts' popular novel, in which he also starred as Paunvere's bell-ringer . The film became an Estonian classic. From 1993 to 2007 (his death), he starred in ''

'' as Johannes Saarepera.

Politics

From 1980 to 1990, Kiisk was a member of the Supreme Soviet of the Estonian SSR and from 1989 to 1991, a member of the

Congress of People's Deputies of the Soviet Union The Congress of People's Deputies of the Soviet Union () was the highest body of state authority of the Soviet Union from 1989 to 1991. Background The Congress of People's Deputies of the Soviet Union was created as part of Mikhail Gorbachev ...

. In

1995 1995 was designated as: * United Nations Year for Tolerance * World Year of Peoples' Commemoration of the Victims of the Second World War This was the first year that the Internet was entirely privatized, with the United States government ...

and

1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...

, he was elected to the

Riigikogu The Riigikogu (, from Estonian ''riigi-'', "of the state", and ''kogu'', "assembly") is the unicameral parliament of Estonia. In addition to approving legislation, the Parliament appoints high officials, including the prime minister and chi ...

as a member of the

Estonian Reform Party The Estonian Reform Party () is a liberal political party in Estonia. The party has been led by Kristen Michal since 2024. It is colloquially known as the "Squirrel Party" () or as "the Squirrels" (), referencing its logo. It was founded in ...

Personal life

Kiisk married his classmate Zinaida Ivanova in 1947. They had a daughter, Riina, who married actor and poet

Juhan Viiding Juhan Viiding (1 June 1948 – 21 February 1995), also known under the pseudonym of Jüri Üdi was an Estonian poet and actor. Personal life Juhan Viiding was born on 1 June 1948 in Tallinn to Paul Viiding, a well-known poet in Estonia who h ...

. Poet

Elo Viiding Elo Viiding (pen name, Elo Vee; born 20 March 1974) is an Estonians, Estonian poet and prose writer. Family Viiding is the third poet in her family. Her father, Juhan Viiding was a famous and influential poet in the 1970s. He was also an actor. ...

is his granddaughter.

Filmography

Film

Television

Honours

EST Order of the White Star - 3rd Class BAR

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 ...

, 3rd Class * PÖFF Lifetime Achievement Award

References

External links

*
Kaljo Kiisk
at the

Estonian Film Database The Estonian Film Database (, abbreviated EFIS) is an electronic film database launched online in 2012. Its purpose is to thoroughly describe Estonian film heritage, to collect film information about Estonian films, their producers, content, th ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kiisk, Kaljo 1925 births 2007 deaths People from Toila Parish Members of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Estonia 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 Estonian Reform Party politicians Members of the Riigikogu, 1995–1999 Members of the Riigikogu, 1999–2003 Estonian film directors Estonian male film actors Estonian male stage actors Estonian screenwriters Estonian theatre directors Soviet film directors Soviet male film actors Soviet male stage actors Soviet screenwriters Soviet male screenwriters Soviet theatre directors 20th-century Estonian male actors 21st-century Estonian male actors Estonian Waffen-SS personnel People's Artists of the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic Honoured Workers of the Arts Industry of the Estonian SSR Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner of Labour Recipients of the Order of the White Star, 3rd Class Burials at Metsakalmistu