Estonian TV veteran Voldemar Lindström dies at 93
Voldemar Lindström, who worked at Estonian Television for nearly 35 years, has died at the age of 93. He was known for shaping programming and supporting young talent behind the scenes.
Voldemar Lindström, a longtime figure at Estonian Television (ETV), died on Tuesday, October 6, at the age of 93. Born on April 28, 1933, he spent nearly 35 years, from 1972 to 2006, working at ETV.
Lindström rarely appeared on screen himself, occasionally showing up on the program "Monitor" to introduce new shows and answer viewer letters. Still, according to a joint obituary from ERR and the Estonian Union of Journalists, everyone at the Teledom broadcasting house knew him simply as Volli.
He graduated from the journalism department at the University of Tartu in 1957, becoming one of the first students of Juhan Peegel, who went on to mentor several generations of journalists. Lindström spent his first 15 professional years at the newspaper Noorte Hääl, heading its school affairs section.
In 1972, after a brief stint as deputy editor at Õhtuleht, he took over as head of ETV's main editorial office for youth and children's programming. During this period, shows such as "Mõmmi ja aabits" and "Hunt Kriimsilm" launched, along with the youth song contest "Kaks takti ette" and a program produced in cooperation with Finland's Yleisradio.
In 1976, Lindström became general director of ETV's programming directorate, overseeing the entire broadcast schedule and supporting rising talents such as Urmas Ott and Reet Oja. Several landmark programs launched under his leadership during this time, later seen as important milestones on the path to the Singing Revolution.
Later career
Throughout the 1990s, Lindström held various roles connected to programming and production. In 1993 he laid the groundwork for ETV's history museum, which from 1999 onward became his primary occupation. He authored several books on the history of Estonian television, including one about Urmas Ott.
Lindström joined the Estonian Union of Journalists in 1960, was named an Honored Journalist of the Estonian SSR in 1975, and became an honorary member of the Union in 2015. In 2004 he was awarded the Order of the White Star, 4th class.
