100 Notable alumni of
University of Tartu
Updated:
The University of Tartu is 170th in the world, 56th in Europe, and 1st in Estonia by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 100 notable alumni from the University of Tartu sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff.
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Kaja Kallas
- Enrolled in the University of Tartu
- Studied in 1995-1999
- Occupations
- politicianbusiness undergraduatelawyer
- Biography
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Kaja Kallas is an Estonian politician and the current prime minister of Estonia since 2021, the first woman to serve in the role. The leader of the Reform Party since 2018, she was a member of parliament (Riigikogu) in 2011–2014, and 2019–2021. Kallas was a member of the European Parliament in 2014–2018, representing the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe. Before her election to Riigikogu, she was a lawyer specialising in European competition law.
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Kersti Kaljulaid
- Enrolled in the University of Tartu
- Studied in 1992
- Occupations
- directorbusinesspersoninternational forum participantpoliticiancivil servant
- Biography
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Kersti Kaljulaid is an Estonian politician who served as the fifth president of Estonia between 2016 and 2021, and was its first and only female head of state since the country declared independence in 1918. She was also the youngest president, aged 46 at the time of her election.
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Nikolai Pirogov
- Occupations
- physiciansurgeonanatomistscientist
- Biography
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Nikolay Ivanovich Pirogov was a Russian scientist, medical doctor, pedagogue, public figure, and corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences (1847), one of the most widely recognized Russian physicians. Considered to be the founder of field surgery, he was the first surgeon to use anaesthesia in a field operation (1847) and one of the first surgeons in Europe to use ether as an anaesthetic. He is credited with the invention of various kinds of surgical operations and developing his own technique of using plaster casts to treat fractured bones.
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Vladimir Dal
- Occupations
- dialectologistcollector of fairy taleswriterlinguistethnographer
- Biography
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Vladimir Ivanovich Dal was a noted Russian-language lexicographer, polyglot, Turkologist, and founding member of the Russian Geographical Society. During his lifetime he compiled and documented the oral history of the region that was later published in Russian and became part of modern folklore.
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Wilhelm Ostwald
- Occupations
- inventorwriteruniversity teacherphysicistteacher
- Biography
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Friedrich Wilhelm Ostwald was a Baltic German chemist and philosopher. Ostwald is credited with being one of the founders of the field of physical chemistry, with Jacobus Henricus van 't Hoff, Walther Nernst, and Svante Arrhenius. He received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1909 for his scientific contributions to the fields of catalysis, chemical equilibria and reaction velocities.
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Jüri Ratas
- Occupations
- international forum participantpolitician
- Biography
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Jüri Ratas is an Estonian politician who was the 18th prime minister of Estonia from 2016 to 2021. He was the Leader of the Centre Party from 2016 to 2023, and the mayor of Tallinn from 2005 to 2007. Ratas was a member of the Centre Party until switching to Isamaa in 2024.
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Konstantin Päts
- Occupations
- journalistlawyerjuristpolitician
- Biography
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Konstantin Päts was an Estonian statesman and the country's president in 1938–1940. Päts was one of the most influential politicians of the independent democratic Republic of Estonia, and during the two decades prior to World War II he also served five times as the country's prime minister. After the 16–17 June 1940 Soviet invasion and occupation of Estonia, President Päts remained formally in office for over a month, until he was forced to resign, imprisoned by the new Stalinist regime, and deported to the USSR, where he died in 1956.
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Władysław Raczkiewicz
- Occupations
- politicianlawyerjurist
- Biography
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Władysław Raczkiewicz was a Polish politician, lawyer, diplomat and President of Poland-in-exile from 1939 until his death in 1947. Until 1945, he was the internationally recognized Polish head of state, and the Polish government-in-exile was recognized as the continuation of the Polish government of 1939.
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Lennart Meri
- Occupations
- philologistwriterpoliticiantranslatorscreenwriter
- Biography
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Lennart Georg Meri was an Estonian writer, film director and statesman. He was the country's foreign minister in 1990–1992 and President of Estonia in 1992–2001.
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Nicolai Hartmann
- Occupations
- university teacherwriterphilosopher
- Biography
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Paul Nicolai Hartmann was a Baltic German philosopher. He is regarded as a key representative of critical realism and as one of the most important twentieth-century metaphysicians.
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Siim Kallas
- Occupations
- diplomatpoliticianbankerofficialjournalist
- Biography
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Siim Kallas is an Estonian politician, former Prime Minister of Estonia, and former European Commissioner, as well as a former member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.
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Jonas Biliūnas
- Occupations
- journalistwriterpoet
- Biography
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Jonas Biliūnas was a Lithuanian writer, poet, and a significant contributor to the national awakening of Lithuania in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
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Edgar Savisaar
- Enrolled in the University of Tartu
- In 1973 studied study of history
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Edgar Savisaar was an Estonian politician, one of the founding members of Popular Front of Estonia and the Centre Party. He served as the acting Prime Minister of Estonia, Minister of the Interior, Minister of Economic Affairs and Communications, and twice mayor of Tallinn.
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Taavi Rõivas
- Enrolled in the University of Tartu
- In 2002 graduated with bachelor's degree
- Occupations
- economistpolitician
- Biography
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Taavi Rõivas is an Estonian politician, former Prime Minister of Estonia from 2014 to 2016 and former leader of the Reform Party. Before his term as the Prime Minister, Rõivas was the Minister of Social Affairs from 2012 to 2014. On 9 November 2016 his second cabinet dissolved after coalition partners, Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica and Social Democratic Party, sided with the opposition in a no confidence motion. At the end of 2020, Rõivas announced quitting politics, and resigned from his parliament seat.
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Moritz von Jacobi
- Occupations
- physicistelectrotechnicianinventoruniversity teacher
- Biography
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Moritz Hermann von Jacobi, russified from 1837 as Boris Semyonovich Yakobi was a Prussian and Russian Imperial engineer and physicist of Jewish descent. Jacobi worked mainly in the Russian Empire. He furthered progress in galvanoplastics, electric motors, and wire telegraphy.
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Mart Helme
- Enrolled in the University of Tartu
- Studied in 1973
- Occupations
- diplomathistorianpoliticiansingerjournalist
- Biography
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Mart Helme is an Estonian politician, diplomat and musician who served as the Minister of the Interior from 2019 to 2020. He was the long time chairman of the national conservative Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE) from 13 April 2013 to 4 July 2020 when he was succeeded by his son Martin Helme.
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Vikenty Veresaev
- Occupations
- translatorwriterbiographerlinguistphysician writer
- Biography
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Vikenty Vikentyevich Smidovich, better known by his pen name Vikenty Vikentyevich Veresaev, (Russian: Вике́нтий Вике́нтьевич Вереса́ев) was a Russian and Soviet writer, translator and medical doctor of Polish descent.
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Nikolai Burdenko
- Occupations
- surgeonpoliticianmilitary personnelneurosurgeonnon-fiction writer
- Biography
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Nikolay Nilovich Burdenko was a Russian and Soviet surgeon, the founder of Russian neurosurgery. He was Surgeon-General of the Red Army (1937–1946), an academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences (from 1939), an academician and the first director of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR (1944–1946), a Hero of Socialist Labor (from 1943), Colonel General of medical services, and a Stalin Prize winner (1941). He was a veteran of the Russo-Japanese War, First World War, Winter War and the German-Soviet War.
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Jaan Kross
- Occupations
- writerprofessorpedagoguepoet lawyerpoet
- Biography
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Jaan Kross was an Estonian writer. He won the 1995 International Nonino Prize in Italy.
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Andrus Ansip
- Occupations
- entrepreneurpoliticianchemistbusinesspersoninternational forum participant
- Biography
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Andrus Ansip is an Estonian politician, a member of the European Parliament, the former European Commissioner for Digital Single Market and Vice President of the European Commission, in office from 2014 until 2019. Previously, he was Prime Minister of Estonia from 2005 to 2014 and chairman of the liberal Estonian Reform Party (Estonian: Reformierakond) from 2004 to 2014.
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Friedrich Georg Wilhelm von Struve
- Occupations
- astronomeruniversity teacher
- Biography
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Friedrich Georg Wilhelm von Struve was a Baltic German astronomer and geodesist. He is best known for studying double stars and for initiating a triangulation survey later named Struve Geodetic Arc in his honor.
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Jaan Tallinn
- Occupations
- computer scientistinvestorengineer
- Biography
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Jaan Tallinn is an Estonian billionaire computer programmer and investor known for his participation in the development of Skype and file-sharing application FastTrack/Kazaa.
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Mart Laar
- Occupations
- economisthistorianwriterpolitician
- Biography
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Mart Laar is an Estonian politician and historian. He served as the Prime Minister of Estonia from 1992 to 1994 and from 1999 to 2002. Laar is credited with having helped bring about Estonia's rapid economic development during the 1990s. He is a member of the centre-right Isamaa party.
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Krišjānis Barons
- Occupations
- journalistwriteropinion journalistfolklorist
- Biography
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Krišjānis Barons was a Latvian writer who is known as the "father of the dainas" (Latvian: "Dainu Tēvs") thanks largely to his systematization of the Latvian folk songs and his labour in preparing their texts for publication in Latvju dainas. His portrait appeared on the 100-lat banknote prior to the Lat being replaced by the Euro in 2014, his being the only human face of an actual person on modern Latvian currency. Barons was very prominent among the Young Latvians, and also an important writer and editor.
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Andrus Kivirähk
- Enrolled in the University of Tartu
- Studied in 1993
- Occupations
- children's writerwriterscreenwriterplaywrightjournalist
- Biography
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Andrus Kivirähk is an Estonian writer, a playwright, topical satirist, and screenwriter. As of 2004, 25,000 copies of his novel Rehepapp ehk November (Old Barny or November) had been sold, making him the most popular 21st-century Estonian writer. His book Mees, kes teadis ussisõnu (The Man Who Spoke Snakish) (2007) has been one of the top selling books in Estonia. He has been a member of the Estonian Writers' Union (in Estonian: Eesti Kirjanike Liit) since 1996.
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Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald
- Occupations
- children's writertranslatorwriterpoetcollector of fairy tales
- Biography
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Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald was an Estonian writer who is considered to be the father of the national literature for the country. He is the author of Estonian national epic Kalevipoeg.
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Martin Helme
- Occupations
- politicianjournalist
- Biography
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Martin Helme is an Estonian politician and current leader of the Conservative People's Party (EKRE). From 2019 to 2021 he was the country's Minister of Finance.
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A. H. Tammsaare
- Occupations
- writertranslator
- Biography
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Anton Hansen, 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 the major works of Estonian literature and "The Estonian Novel".
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Oskar Luts
- Enrolled in the University of Tartu
- Studied in 1911-1914
- Occupations
- pharmacistwriterhumoristscreenwriter
- Biography
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Oskar Luts was an Estonian writer and playwright.
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Kadri Simson
- Enrolled in the University of Tartu
- Studied in 1995-2000
- Occupations
- international forum participantpolitician
- Biography
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Kadri Simson is an Estonian politician from the Centre Party, European Commissioner for Energy in the von der Leyen Commission since 1 December 2019. She was previously Minister of Economic Affairs and Communications in Jüri Ratas' first cabinet from 2016 to 2019.
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Hermann von Keyserling
- Occupations
- naturalistwriterphilosopherland owner
- Biography
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Hermann Alexander Graf von Keyserling was a Baltic German philosopher from the Keyserlingk family. His grandfather, Alexander von Keyserling, was a notable geologist of Imperial Russia.
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Kristina Šmigun-Vähi
- Occupations
- politiciancross-country skier
- Biography
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Kristina Šmigun-Vähi is a former Estonian female cross-country skier and politician. She is the most successful Estonian female cross-country skier with two Olympic gold medals. In 2019 she was elected as a Member of the Estonian Parliament.
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Marina Kaljurand
- Occupations
- lawyerbadminton playerpoliticiandiplomat
- Biography
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Marina Kaljurand is an Estonian politician and Member of the European Parliament. Kaljurand served as Minister of Foreign Affairs in Taavi Rõivas' second cabinet as an independent. Earlier, she served as the Ambassador of Estonia to the United States, Russia, Mexico, Canada, Kazakhstan, and Israel.
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Eno Raud
- Enrolled in the University of Tartu
- In 1952 studied Estonian
- Occupations
- children's writerwriter
- Biography
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Eno Raud was an Estonian children's writer. His works are considered classics in Estonia as well as in the other former Soviet countries. Raud was included in International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) Honour List in 1974.
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Hilda Taba
- Years
- 1902-1967 (aged 65)
- Occupations
- pedagoguearchitect
- Biography
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Hilda Taba was an architect, a curriculum theorist, a curriculum reformer, and a teacher educator. Taba was born in the small village of Kooraste, Estonia. Her mother's name was Liisa Leht, and her father was a schoolmaster whose name was Robert Taba. Hilda Taba began her education at the Kanepi Parish School. She then attended the Võru’s Girls’ Grammar School and earned her undergraduate degree in English and Philosophy at the University of Tartu. When Taba was given the opportunity to attend Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania, she earned her master's degree. Following the completion of her degree at Bryn Mawr College, she attended Teachers College at Columbia University. She applied for a job at the University of Tartu but was turned down because she was female, so she became curriculum director at the Dalton School in New York City. In 1951, Taba accepted an invitation to become a professor at San Francisco State College, now known as San Francisco State University.
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Jaan Kaplinski
- Occupations
- children's writeruniversity teacherjournalistphilosopherpoet
- Biography
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Jaan Kaplinski was an Estonian poet, philosopher, politician, and culture critic, known for his focus on global issues and support for left-wing/liberal thinking. He was influenced by Eastern philosophical schools (Taoism and especially Buddhism).
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Evelin Ilves
- Occupations
- chief marketing officer
- Biography
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Evelin Ilves is the second wife of President of Estonia Toomas Hendrik Ilves. She was the First Lady of Estonia from 9 October 2006 until their divorce on 30 April 2015.
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Tomas Venclova
- Enrolled in the University of Tartu
- 1966-1971 studied semiotics
- Occupations
- writeruniversity teacherpoettranslatorliterary historian
- Biography
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Tomas Venclova is a Lithuanian poet, prose writer, scholar, philologist and translator of literature. He is one of the five founding members of the Lithuanian Helsinki Group. In 1977, following his dissident activities, he was forced to emigrate and was deprived of his Soviet citizenship. Since 1980, he has taught Russian and Polish literature at Yale University. Considered a major figure in world literature, he has received many awards, including the Prize of Two Nations (received jointly with Czesław Miłosz), and The Person of Tolerance of the Year Award from the Sugihara Foundation, among other honors.
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Benedykt Dybowski
- Occupations
- Esperantistgeographernaturalistphysicianentomologist
- Biography
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Benedykt Tadeusz Dybowski was a Polish naturalist and physician.
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Tytus Chałubiński
- Occupations
- pathologistphysicianlocal historian
- Biography
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Tytus Aureliusz Chałubiński was a Polish physician, naturalist, and co-founder of the Polish Tatra Society. His collections of natural history specimens are now held in the Tatra Mountains Museum in Zakopane.
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Krišjānis Valdemārs
- Occupations
- opinion journalistpublisherwriterpoliticianfolklorist
- Biography
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Krišjānis Valdemārs was a writer, editor, educator, politician, lexicographer, folklorist and economist, the spiritual leader of The First Latvian National Awakening and the most prominent member of the Young Latvians movement.
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Arseny Roginsky
- Occupations
- historianhistoriographerpolitical activisthuman rights activistbibliographer
- Biography
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Arseny Borisovich Roginsky was a Soviet dissident and Russian historian. He was one of the founders of the International Historical and Civil Rights Society Memorial, and its head since 1998.
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Ion Inculeț
- Occupations
- physicistpoliticianmathematician
- Biography
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Ion Inculeț was a Bessarabian and Romanian politician, the President of the Country Council of the Moldavian Democratic Republic, Minister, full member (since 1918) of the Romanian Academy. He was buried in the Church of St. Ioan Botezătorul of Bârnova, located on the outskirts of Iași. He was married to Princess Roxana Cantacuzino. His children from this marriage were Ion I. Inculeț, Doctor Honoris Causa of the University of Western Ontario (Canada), NASA consultant, Honorary Member of the Romanian Academy, director of the Center of Applied Electrostatics of the University of Western Ontario, and his brother, George I. Inculeț.
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Vladimir Sollogub
- Occupations
- librettistplaywrightwriterprose writertranslator
- Biography
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Count Vladimir Alexandrovich Sollogub was a minor Russian writer, author of novelettes, essays, plays, and memoirs.
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Riho Terras
- Occupations
- politicianmilitary personnel
- Biography
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Riho Terras is an Estonian politician and a former military officer who is serving as a member of the European Parliament since 1 February 2020. He was the Commander of the Estonian Defence Forces from 2011 to 2018. He was promoted to general in 2017.
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Jaan Tõnisson
- Occupations
- journalistlawyerpoliticiandiplomat
- Biography
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Jaan Tõnisson was an Estonian statesman, serving as the Prime Minister of Estonia twice during 1919 to 1920, as State Elder (head of state and government) from 1927 to 1928 and in 1933, and as Foreign Minister of Estonia from 1931 to 1932.
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Kristjan Jaak Peterson
- Occupations
- translatorwriterpoet
- Biography
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Kristian Jaak Peterson also known as Christian Jacob Petersohn, was an Estonian poet, commonly regarded as a herald of Estonian national literature and the founder of modern Estonian poetry. He died of tuberculosis aged 21.
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Tadeusz Stefan Zieliński
- Occupations
- historiantranslatorclassical scholaruniversity teacherarchaeologist
- Biography
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Tadeusz Stefan Zieliński was a prominent Polish classical philologist, historian, and translator of Sophocles, Euripides and other classical authors into Russian. His most well-known works are Die Gliederung der altattischen Komoedie, Tragodumenon libri tres, and Iresione, the last of which is a collection of essays.
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Urmas Reinsalu
- Enrolled in the University of Tartu
- In 1997 studied jurisprudence
- Occupations
- politicianjurist
- Biography
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Urmas Reinsalu is an Estonian politician who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2022 to 2023 and previously from 2019 to 2021. Before that, Urmas has served as the Minister of Defence between 2012 and 2014, and Minister of Justice from 2015 to 2019. Reinsalu is a member and current leader of the Isamaa ("Fatherland") political party (formerly called the Pro Patria and Res Publica Union), and was the party leader from 2012 to 2015.
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Indrek Hargla
- Occupations
- science fiction writerwriterscreenwriter
- Biography
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Indrek Hargla is an Estonian writer. He is one of the most prominent Estonian writers of science fiction and crime novels. His most notable work is the Apothecary Melchior series, where activity takes place in medieval Tallinn.
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Kristiina Ehin
- Occupations
- teacherwriterprose writertranslatorsinger
- Biography
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Kristiina Ehin is an Estonian poet, translator, singer and songwriter.
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Alexander von Middendorff
- Occupations
- university teacherbotanistornithologistexplorerphysician
- Biography
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Alexander Theodor von Middendorff was a Russian zoologist and explorer of Baltic German and Estonian extraction. He is known for his expedition 1843–45 to the extreme north and east of Siberia, describing the effects of permafrost on the spread of animals and plants.
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Eduards Veidenbaums
- Enrolled in the University of Tartu
- Studied in 1892
- Occupations
- writerpoet
- Biography
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Eduards Veidenbaums was a Latvian poet and translator.
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Oleksandr Pol
- Occupations
- archaeologistwriterlocal historianmine entrepreneurpublic figure
- Biography
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Alexander Nikolayevich Pol was a Ukrainian archaeologist, geologist, ethnographer and businessman of Baltic German descent. He is most well-known for discovering Kryvbas, a major iron ore region of Eastern Europe.
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Jevgeni Ossinovski
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Jevgeni Ossinovski is an Estonian politician, former leader of the Estonian Social Democratic Party.
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Grigol Robakidze
- Occupations
- public figurewriteropinion journalist
- Biography
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Grigol Robakidze was a Georgian writer, publicist, and public figure primarily known for his prose and anti-Soviet émigré activities.
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Antanas Merkys
- Occupations
- politicianlawyer
- Biography
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Antanas Merkys was the last Prime Minister of independent Lithuania, serving from November 1939 to June 1940. When the Soviet Union presented an ultimatum to Lithuania demanding that it accept a Soviet garrison, President Antanas Smetona fled the country leaving Merkys as acting president. Merkys ostensibly cooperated with the Soviets, and illegally took over the presidency in his own right. After three days, Merkys handed power to Justas Paleckis, who formed the People's Government of Lithuania. When Merkys attempted to flee the country, he was captured and deported to the interior of Russia, where he died in 1955.
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Jakob Hurt
- Occupations
- writertheologianlinguistarchivist
- Biography
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Jakob Hurt was a notable Estonian folklorist, theologian, and linguist. With respect to the last, he is perhaps best known for his dissertation on "pure" -ne stem nouns ("Die estnischen Nomina auf -ne purum", 1886).
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Betti Alver
- Occupations
- novelistpoettranslatorwriter
- Biography
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Elisabet "Betti" Alver, was one of Estonia's most notable poets. She was among the first generation to be educated in schools of an independent Estonia. She went to grammar school in Tartu.
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Vaino Väljas
- Occupations
- politiciandiplomat
- Biography
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Vaino Väljas was a Soviet and Estonian diplomat and politician. Väljas was leader of the Communist party in then Soviet-occupied Estonia in 1988–1991, and the leader of Democratic Estonian Workers Party in 1992–1995 in independent Estonia.
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Erhard Schmidt
- Occupations
- university teachermathematician
- Biography
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Erhard Schmidt was a Baltic German mathematician whose work significantly influenced the direction of mathematics in the twentieth century. Schmidt was born in Tartu (German: Dorpat), in the Governorate of Livonia (now Estonia).
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Jaan Poska
- Occupations
- lawyerpoliticianmayordiplomat
- Biography
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Jaan Poska VR III/1 was an Estonian barrister and politician.
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Karl Maximovich
- Occupations
- botanist
- Biography
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Carl Johann Maximovich, also Karl Ivanovich Maximovich was a Russian botanist. Maximovich spent most of his life studying the flora of the countries he had visited in the Far East, and naming many new species. He worked at the Saint Petersburg Botanical Gardens from 1852 as curator of the herbarium collection, becoming Director in 1869.
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Johannes Aavik
- Occupations
- violinistuniversity teacherlinguistwriterphilologist
- Biography
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Johannes Aavik was an Estonian philologist and Fennophile who played an influential role in the modernization and development of the Estonian language.
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Uku Masing
- Occupations
- translatorwriterpoetlinguistphilosopher
- Biography
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Uku Masing was an Estonian philosopher. He was a significant figure in Estonian religious philosophy. Masing also wrote poetry, mostly on religious issues. Masing authored one novel, Rapanui vabastamine ehk Kajakad jumalate kalmistul (Liberation of Rapa Nui, or Seagulls at the Cemetery of Gods) in the late 1930s, which was published posthumously in 1989. As a folklorist, he was a distinguished researcher of fairy tales, contributing to the international Encyclopedia of the Folktale. He was awarded the Righteous Among The Nations by Yad Vashem and the Israeli Supreme Court for his participation during the Holocaust in helping a Jew in Estonia escape capture from 1941 until the end of the war. His actions exposed him to great danger during this period requiring him to meet with his friend as well as lying to the Gestapo.
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Pan Halippa
- Occupations
- journalistpoliticianopinion journalist
- Biography
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Pantelimon "Pan" Halippa was a Bessarabian and later Romanian journalist and politician. One of the most important promoters of Romanian nationalism in Bessarabia and of this province's union with Romania, he was president of Sfatul Țării, which voted union in 1918. He then occupied ministerial posts in several governments, following which he underwent political persecution at the hands of the Communist régime and was later incarcerated in Sighet prison.
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Kristina Kallas
- Occupations
- political scientistpolitician
- Biography
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Kristina Kallas is an Estonian politician who was the leader of the Eesti 200 party. She is not related to Kaja Kallas, the current Prime Minister of Estonia.
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Valentin Tomberg
- Occupations
- martinistmysticjurist
- Biography
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Valentin Tomberg was an Estonian-Russian Christian mystic, polyglot scholar and esotericist.
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Hanno Pevkur
- Occupations
- lawyerjuristpoliticiansports official
- Biography
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Hanno Pevkur is an Estonian politician who is currently the Minister of Defence. He is the former chairman of the Estonian Reform Party.
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Tõnu Õnnepalu
- Occupations
- journalistpoettranslatorwriter
- Biography
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Tõnu Õnnepalu, also known by the pen names Emil Tode and Anton Nigov, is an Estonian poet, author and translator.
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Juris Alunāns
- Occupations
- journalistpoettranslatorlinguist
- Biography
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Juris Alunāns was a Latvian writer and philologist in the Russian Empire. He was one of the first contributors of Latvian language. He was one of the members of the Young Latvia movement.
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Ellen Niit
- Occupations
- translatorwriterpoet
- Biography
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Ellen Niit was an Estonian children's writer, poet and translator. Over her lifetime, she penned more than forty books of both prose and poetry for children. She also wrote a number of collections of prose and poetry for adults. Her works have been translated into eighteen languages.
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Augusts Kirhenšteins
- Occupations
- university teacherbiologistpolitician
- Biography
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Augusts Kirhenšteins, formerly spelt Kirchenšteins, was a Latvian and Soviet microbiologist, politician and educator. He was the de facto prime minister of Latvia from 20 June 1940 to 25 August 1940 and Acting de facto President of Latvia from 21 July 1940 to 25 August 1940. It was Kirhenšteins' Soviet puppet government that requested the incorporation of Latvia into the Soviet Union after the occupation of the country in 1940. He became a member of the Communist Party in 1941. He was Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic 1940–1952.
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Tanel Kiik
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Tanel Kiik is an Estonian politician and former cabinet minister.
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Juhan Parts
- Occupations
- politicianlawyer
- Biography
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Juhan Parts is an Estonian politician who was Prime Minister of Estonia from 2003 to 2005 and Minister of Economic Affairs and Communications from 2007 to 2014. Juhan Parts is a member of Isamaa party.
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Jaak Madison
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Jaak Madison is an Estonian politician, the deputy chairman of the Conservative People's Party of Estonia and a member the European Parliament, where he is a member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Delegation for relations with the United States and a substitute member for the Committee on Constitutional Affairs and the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs.
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Friedrich Robert Faehlmann
- Occupations
- writerphysicianuniversity teacherphilologist
- Biography
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Friedrich Robert Faehlmann was an Estonian writer, medical doctor and philologist active in Livonia, Russian Empire. He was a co-founder of the Learned Estonian Society at the University of Dorpat and its chairman (1843-1850).
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Mati Unt
- Occupations
- theatrical directorwriterplaywright
- Biography
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Mati Unt was an Estonian writer, essayist and theatre director.
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Margus Tsahkna
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Margus Tsahkna is an Estonian politician, leader of new liberal Estonia 200 party since 19 November 2023, former leader of the conservative Isamaa party, former Minister of Defence in Jüri Ratas' cabinet and Minister of Social Protection in Taavi Rõivas' second cabinet. He was sworn in as Minister of Foreign Affairs in the third cabinet of Kaja Kallas on 17 April 2023.
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Pyotr Boborykin
- Occupations
- writerjournalist
- Biography
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Pyotr Dmitryevich Boborykin was a Russian writer, playwright, and journalist.
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Marju Lauristin
- Occupations
- university teacherpoliticiansociologist
- Biography
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Marju Lauristin is an Estonian politician, and former Member of the European Parliament and Minister of Social Affairs. She is a member of the Social Democratic Party, part of the Party of European Socialists. Lauristin is currently a member of the Tartu city council.
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Jürgen Ligi
- Occupations
- economistpolitician
- Biography
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Jürgen Ligi is an Estonian politician, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, and a member and the vice-chairman of the liberal Reform Party. He was Minister of Education and Research in Taavi Rõivas' cabinet from 9 April 2015 to 12 September 2016. Previously, Ligi has served as the Minister of Defence from 2005 to 2007 and as the Minister of Finance from 2009 to 2014.
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Ahti Heinla
- Occupations
- computer scientistbusinesspersonengineer
- Biography
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Ahti Heinla is an Estonian computer programmer and businessman. He is one of the developers of Skype.
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Sven Mikser
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Sven Mikser is an Estonian politician.
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Alberts Kviesis
- Occupations
- politicianlawyer
- Biography
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Alberts Kviesis was a Latvian politician who served as third President of Latvia from 1930 to 1936.
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Atis Kronvalds
- Occupations
- linguistwriter
- Biography
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Atis Kronvalds or Kronvaldu Atis was a Latvian writer, linguist and pedagogue, as well as a prominent member of the Young Latvia movement.
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Ilmar Raag
- Occupations
- journalistfilm directorscreenwriteractor
- Biography
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Ilmar Raag is an Estonian media executive, actor, screenwriter and film director, best known for his socio-critical film The Class. He has served as CEO of Estonian Television from 2002 to 2005. He is a well known columnist in many prestigious Estonian newspapers (Postimees, Eesti Päevaleht). He has written many scripts and directed critically acclaimed films, notably August 1991 and The Class.
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Andrievs Niedra
- Occupations
- politicianwriterpoet
- Biography
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Andrievs Niedra was a Latvian writer, Lutheran pastor and the Prime Minister of the German puppet government in Latvia between April and June 1919, during the Latvian War of Independence.
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Mihhail Lotman
- Occupations
- literary criticliterary scholarpoliticiansemiotician
- Biography
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Mihhail Lotman is an Estonian literature researcher and politician, son of Juri Lotman and Zara Mints.
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Saima Harmaja
- Occupations
- writerpoet
- Biography
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Saima Rauha Maria Harmaja was a Finnish poet and writer. She is known for her tragic life and early death, which are reflected in her sensitive poems. She came from a prominent family; her maternal grandfather was Arvid Genetz. She wrote four collections of poetry.
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Urmas Paet
- Occupations
- diplomatjournalistpolitician
- Biography
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Urmas Paet is an Estonian politician and Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Estonia. He is a member of the Reform Party, part of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe. He has served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2005 to 2014 and Minister of Culture from 2003 to 2005. He was a member of the Estonian Parliament from 2003 to 2014.
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Doris Kareva
- Occupations
- writereditorpoettranslatorjournalist
- Biography
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Doris Kareva is an Estonian poet and translator. She serves as the head of the Estonian National Commission in UNESCO.
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Jüri Luik
- Occupations
- diplomatjournalistpolitician
- Biography
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Jüri Luik is an Estonian diplomat and politician who served as the Minister of Defence in the government of Prime Minister Jüri Ratas. In addition, he chaired the EPP Defense Ministers Meeting, which gathers the center-right EPP ministers ahead of meetings of the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC).
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Wincenty Lutosławski
- Occupations
- philosopheruniversity teacher
- Biography
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Wincenty Lutosławski was a Polish philosopher, author, and member of the Polish National League.
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Indrek Tarand
- Occupations
- politicianjournalist
- Biography
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Indrek Tarand is an Estonian politician and Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Estonia. He is an independent politician, but a member of the European Green Party.
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Usievalad Ihnatouski
- Enrolled in the University of Tartu
- Studied in 1911
- Occupations
- politicianhistorian
- Biography
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Usievalad Ihnatoŭski was a Belarusian politician, scholar and the first president of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus.
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Katri Raik
- Occupations
- politicianhistorian
- Biography
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Katri Raik is an Estonian politician who served as the Minister of the Interior from 2018 to 2019 and as the Mayor of Narva from 2020 to 2023. She is a member of the Social Democratic Party. She was a Member of Riigikogu from 2018 to 2019 and the rector of the Estonian Academy of Security Sciences before she joined the government.
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Anton Lutskevich
- Occupations
- historianlinguistpublisheropinion journalistpolitician
- Biography
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Anton Ivanavič Luckievič was a leading figure of the Belarusian independence movement in the early 20th century, an initiator of the proclamation of the independence of Belarus, the Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Belarusian Democratic Republic persecuted by the Soviet authorities. He was a brother of Ivan Luckievič.
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Vahur Kersna
- Occupations
- television presenterjournalistcaricaturist
- Biography
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Vahur Kersna is an Estonian journalist, radio and television personality and caricaturist.
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Ruuben Kaalep
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Ruuben Kaalep is an Estonian politician, poet and a far-right (self-styled ethnofuturist) philosopher. He has been member of XIV Riigikogu. He is a founder of the Conservative People's Party of Estonia's youth organization Sinine Äratus ('Blue Awakening'). Since 2012, he is a member of Estonian Conservative People's Party.
