Vaino Väljas
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Vaino Väljas | |
|---|---|
 Vaino Väljas, 2013 | |
| Leader of the Estonian Left Party | |
| In office 25 March 1990 – 1 June 1995 | |
| Preceded by | Party established |
| Succeeded by | Hillar Eller |
| First Secretary of the Communist Party of Estonia | |
| In office 1988–1990 | |
| Preceded by | Karl Vaino |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 28 March 1931 Külaküla, Hiiumaa, Estonia |
| Political party | Estonian Left Party |
Vaino Väljas (Russian: Ва́йно Ио́сипович Вя́льяс, romanized: Vaino Iosipovich Vyalias; born 28 March 1931 in Külaküla, Hiiumaa) is a former Soviet and Estonian politician. He was the Chairman of the 6th Supreme Soviet of the Estonian SSR from 18 April 1963 to 19 March 1967, first secretary of communist party of Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic from 16 June 1988 to April 1990 and chairman of the party from April 1990 to August 1991.
Biography
Early life
He was born on 28 March 1931 in the First Republic. He became a member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in 1952. In 1955, he graduated from Tartu State University (TSU).
Career
In 1949, he began working at the Komsomol. From 1955 to 1961 he held the office of First Secretary of the Central Committee of the ELKNÜ. From 1961 to 1971, Väljas was First Secretary of the Tallinn City Committee of the Communist Party of Estonia. From 1971 to 1980, he was Secretary of the Central Committee of the EKP. Since Väljas was considered to have Estonian nationalist inclinations, he was removed from Estonia and appointed as the Soviet ambassador to Venezuela in 1980 and Nicaragua in 1986.
Leader of Soviet Estonia
As the Estonian independence movement gained momentum in 1988, the relatively liberal Väljas was recalled from Nicaragua and was appointed by Gorbachev as leader of the Communist Party of Estonia.[1] The Communist party lost its monopoly of power in February 1990. Väljas later voted for the Estonian Restoration of Independence in August 1991.[2]
Post-independence
Väljas was the leader of the former Communist party, renamed the Democratic Estonian Workers Party, until 1995.
Awards
Order of Lenin (1965)- 3 Orders of the Red Banner of Labour (1958, 1971, and 1973)
- Order of Friendship of Peoples (1981)
Order of the National Coat of Arms (2002)- Order of the White Star (2006)
- Aadu Luukas Mission Award (2017)
- Tallinn Coat of Arms (2021)
Order of the Liberator (Venezuela, 1986)
References
- ^ "Estonia Gets Hope". Ellensburg Daily Record. Helsinki, Finland: UPI. 23 October 1989. p. 9. Retrieved 18 March 2010.
- ^ Smith, Graham (2016-07-27). The Baltic States: The National Self-Determination of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Springer. ISBN 978-1-349-14150-0.
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- 1931 births
- Living people
- 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
- 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
- Soviet politician stubs
- Estonian politician stubs