Teet Kallas


Teet Kallas is an Estonian writer and former politician, most notable for voting for the Estonian restoration of Independence.

Life and work

Kallas attended middle school in Tallinn from 1954 to 1962. He left the school without a degree. From 1962 to 1965, he was a soldier in the Red Army in Palanga. He then began his literary and journalistic career.
In 1958, Kallas debuted as a writer in short prose in Estonian newspapers. After a few short prose texts and writing youth literature, his debut novel, Nii palju päikest, was released in 1964.
In 1965 and 1966, Kallas was a literary editor on Estonian television, before he was employed by the editorial office of Looming from 1968 to 1970. Subsequently, he wrote for Estonian newspapers. Among other things, he was an editor for Vaba Maa, Sõnumileht and Postimees.
In 1969, Kallas was arrested by the KGB, who accused him of anti-Soviet propaganda. He spent several months in prison. There he wrote his surrealist novel Heliseb-kõliseb..., released in 1972. In 1972 he joined the Estonian Writers Association. In the 1980s, he was a member of the board of writers association.
Kallas' novel Niguliste was written between 1967 and 1972. It appeared only after the end of Soviet rule in Estonia in 1990 in a revised and expanded two-volume edition: "The novel is the typical description of a 'lost generation', their dreams and ideals loses and perishes itself, and as such was a post-1968 document. Its failure to appear in the early 1970s, however, was more attributable to the laziness of the author than censorship, for internal criticism was by no means devastating or insurmountable. Kallas just turned to other things, which is why the novel was left lying."
Kallas also wrote some radio dramas as well as screenplays for television films and series, such as the successful television series Õnne 13. In addition, he translated prose from Russian and from English.
From 1979 to 1990, Kallas belonged to the Communist Party of Estonia. During the period of transition between the end of the Soviet Union and the regaining of Estonian independence, he co-chaired the parliamentary group of the democratic opposition movement Popular Front of Estonia, voting for the Estonian restoration of Independence. Subsequently, Kallas was active in various political parties. Since 1998, he has been an independent.

Fictional works (selection)

Kallas is married to Weimar-born journalist and translator Alla Kallas. He was the older brother of Estonian graphic artist and cartoonist Olimar Kallas. They currently live in Laulasmaa, on the coast of the Baltic Sea.

Awards