Fred Jüssi (29 January 1935 – 1 December 2024) was an Estonian biologist, nature writer and photographer.[1][2]
Life and career
editJüssi was born in Aruba, Netherlands Antilles, where his father worked for a Venezuelan oil company.[3] His family returned to Estonia and settled in Tallinn when Jüssi was 3 years old. After finishing high school in Tallinn he studied biology and zoology at the University of Tartu, graduating in 1958. He worked as a school teacher (from 1958 to 1960 in Emmaste, Hiiumaa), as inspector for nature protection (1962–1975),[3] radio broadcaster for Eesti Raadio, freelance writer and nature campaigner.[1] In Eesti Raadio he ran the program Looduse aabits (ABC book of nature) from 1976 to 1986.[3]
In October 1980, Jüssi was a signatory of the Letter of 40 Intellectuals, a public letter in which forty prominent Estonian intellectuals defended the Estonian language and protested the Russification policies of the Kremlin in Estonia.[4] The signatories also expressed their unease against Republic-level government in harshly dealing with youth protests in Tallinn that were sparked a week earlier due to the banning of a public performance of the punk rock band Propeller.[4]
In the beginning of the 1990s he was for a few years the president of Estonian Nature Fund. Jüssi published numerous books, articles and audio recordings related to nature.[3] He was the first recipient of Eerik Kumari Award, given to him in 1989.
Jüssi was probably the most influential person in Estonia engaged in writing, talking and popularising nature.[5]
Jüssi died on 1 December 2024, at the age of 89.[6]
Notes
edit- ^ a b The Environment Encyclopedia and Directory 2001. Europa Publications. 2001. p. 500. ISBN 1-85743-089-1.
- ^ "Pilgrim Books". Retrieved 27 January 2009.
- ^ a b c d Nõmm, Andre (2006). "Fred Jüssi äratav õpetus". GO Discover (in Estonian) (4). Retrieved 29 January 2009.
- ^ a b Vahtre, Lauri (28 October 2005). "Ajaleht Pravda ja 40 keisri hullu". Postimees (in Estonian). Retrieved 25 August 2019.
- ^ Tüür, Kadri (2001). "On Estonian nature writing". Estonian Literary Magazine (13). Archived from the original on 9 July 2012. Retrieved 27 January 2009.
- ^ "Zoologist and Nature Promoter Fred Jüssi Dies". ERR. 1 December 2024. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
External Links
edit- Fred Jüssi at IMDb
- Fred Jüssi discography at Discogs
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