Viktor Vassiljev (born 9 April 1953) is an Estonian politician and physician [1] who has been a member of the Riigikogu representing the Estonian Centre Party since 2011. He was the elder of the Haabersti district of Tallinn in December 2005.
Born into a family of Russian descent who had lived in Estonia for generations, [2] Vassiljev graduated from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Tartu in 1977. From 1978 to 1999, he worked as a doctor at the Mäekalda Polyclinic in Tallinn.
Vassiljev belonged to the leadership of the Estonian Coalition Party, and spoke about the plan to create a Social Democratic Party in Estonia in 2002 after the breakup of the aforementioned Coalition party: "... we broadly want a social democracy like Sweden. And, of course, I want to have a political position in this party. I definitely want the Riigikogu."
As a member of the Centre Party, Vassiljev was a candidate In the 2009 municipal elections, where he received 5,582 votes and managed to have a mandate in the Tallinn City Council. In the 2013 municipal elections, he received 4,079 votes and continued the mandate, but continued to work in the Riigikogu.
He was an author on the TV show "Prillitoos" from 1984 to 1996.
Vassilijev is a superior at the Estonian branch of St. Michael's Knight's Church. [3]
Vassiljev has had a number of controversies relating to his speeches and public statements, which often utilize colorful language. Thus, at the beginning of 2015, he received widespread criticism of the opinion expressed by the Social Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu "Situation and needs of the elderly in Estonia", according to which women whose children's parents do not pay alimony are guilty of it and should be sterilized. (After apologizing for the media, he apologized for inadvertently speaking.) [4] [5] [6]
In the spring of 2016, at Nõmme Raadio, Vassiljev claimed that school violence is justified from the point of view of evolution: "And the aggressiveness of children reflects exactly the same way, be it on the street, whether it be bullying, it is a similar positive phenomenon in principle - only that someone got hurt, someone got. During the Stone Age, he would have been snatched up and he would not have descended, but since we have certain social welfare structures, a social network, we have medicine, then we can handle and survive those who are absolutely unbearable, ineffective, fools and the like, they will be descendants." In the same interview, he also recommended refugee boats traveling to Europe to drown with the refugees, among other controversial statements. [7] [8] In addition to the press and politicians both parties and competing parties, he criticized the Union for Child Welfare as well. [9] [10] [11] Earlier, Vassiljev, at the same radio station, had expressed the opinion that dogs, children and the elderly should not be allowed into the Riigikogu building as "the most sacred place in the country". [12]
Vassiljev himself considers humorousness of his speeches: "For my long tongue, I have written off many people, but it's fun." [13]
Vassiljev is married. He has one son of the first and two sons of the second marriage, as well as one grandchild.
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.
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.
Hannes Vanaküla, also known as Tokroda, is an Estonian mage. In media he has been called a charlatan and a cult leader.
The Conservative People's Party of Estonia is a nationalist and right-wing populist political party in Estonia, currently led by Martin Helme. It was founded in March 2012, with the merger of People's Union of Estonia and Estonian Patriotic Movement. Its first leader, Margo Miljand, served as the chairman until 2013 when he was succeeded by Mart Helme. Its popularity remained low until late 2014, when the party began to draw supporters from the right; further, in the 2015 Estonian parliamentary election, it passed the electoral threshold and won seats in parliament for the first time. Since then its support has grown, turning it into one of the largest parties in Estonia. In the 2019 Estonian parliamentary election, EKRE placed third, winning 19 seats in total. Mart was succeeded as party chairman by his son, Martin Helme, in July 2020.
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.
Jan Uuspõld is an Estonian stage, television, radio and film actor and musician.
Kersti Kaljulaid is an Estonian politician who served as the fifth president of Estonia between 2016 and 2021. She was also the first and only female head of state of Estonia since the country declared independence in 1918, as well as the youngest president, aged 46 at the time of her election.
Karin Rask is an Estonian stage, film and television actress, theatre teacher and clothing designer.
Liis Lass is an Estonian stage, film, and television actress.
Liis Lindmaa is an Estonian stage, television and film actress.
Ivo Uukkivi is an Estonian stage, film, radio, and television actor, television producer and, under the nickname Munk, founder of and singer with the punk band Velikije Luki.
Kaido Kama is an Estonian politician, conservationist, and teacher. He served as the Minister of Justice of Estonia from 1992 to 1994, as well as Estonia's Minister of the Interior from 1994 to 1995.
Illar Hallaste was an Estonian cleric, politician, lawyer, and businessman, most notable for being a voter for the Estonian restoration of Independence.
Tõnis Kõiv is an Estonian politician and lawyer who represented the Estonian Reform Party in the Riigikogu from 2005 to 2015.
Ülo Nugis was an Estonian politician and economist. As Speaker of the Supreme Council of Estonia on 20 August 1991, he presided over the Supreme Council's historic session when it voted for the restoration of Estonia's national independence from the Soviet Union.
Electoral district no. 1 is one of the 12 multi-member electoral districts of the Riigikogu, the national legislature of Estonia. The electoral district was established in 1995 following the re-organisation of the electoral districts in Tallinn. It is conterminous with the districts of Haabersti, Kristiine and Põhja-Tallinn in Tallinn. The district currently elects 10 of the 101 members of the Riigikogu using the open party-list proportional representation electoral system. At the 2019 parliamentary election it had 85,469 registered electors.
Electoral district no. 11 is one of the 12 multi-member electoral districts of the Riigikogu, the national legislature of Estonia. The district was established in 1992 when the Riigikogu was re-established following Estonia's independence from the Soviet Union. It was renamed electoral district no. 10 in 1995 following the re-organisation of electoral districts but reverted to electoral district no. 11 in 2003. It is conterminous with the counties of Põlva, Valga and Võru. The district currently elects eight of the 101 members of the Riigikogu using the open party-list proportional representation electoral system. At the 2019 parliamentary election it had 70,706 registered electors.
Madis Milling was an Estonian actor, comedian, television and radio presenter, volunteer rescue worker, and politician. He was a member of the Estonian Defence League since 1990, in 2011 he was ranked as a lieutenant.
Eino Tamm is an Estonian lawyer and former politician, a founding member of the Estonian Coalition Party. He was a member of VII Riigikogu and VIII Riigikogu.
Henrik Kalmet is an Estonian actor, comedian, and television personality. Kalmet began his career in 2010 and has appeared as an actor on stage, television, and films. He is also a stand-up comedian and has appeared as a judge and presenter on several Estonian television series. In 2011, he was a cofounder of the theatre troupe Kinoteater.