- Reset +

Folklore Collection Award

04.10.2010

The Head of State's prize to the best collectors of folklore was granted to more than a hundred co-operators of the Estonian Folklore Archives in 1935-1940.

The Award was reinstated on the initiative of the Estonian Literary Museum and with the support of the President’s Cultural Foundation in 1993, and the first awards were issued in February 1994. The average amount of the financial award shall be decided by the President proceeding from the relevant proposal of the Literary Museum. The awards are handed over on a festive assembly in the Literary Museum by the President of the Republic or his representative.

The renewed Folklore Collection Award of the President of the Republic has been awarded to:

1994

Ago Aava (Tallinn) for his contribution to the field of folklore in 1993 and for his continuous contribution since 1985.
Evi Anni-Adder (Harju County) for her contribution in 1993 and since 1981.
Kaleph Jõulu (Viljandi County) for his professional contribution to the field of folklore in 1993 and for his continuous contribution since 1990.
Ella Kaljuvee (Lääne-Viru County) for her professional contribution to the field of folklore in 1993 and for her continuous contribution since 1981.
Enda Kallas (Pärnu County) for her professional contribution to the field of folklore in 1993 and for her continuous contribution since 1981.
Rosalie Karjam (Kihnu) for her professional contribution to the field of folklore in 1992 and 1993.
Eduard Leppik (Lääne-Viru County) for his professional contribution to the field of folklore in 1993 and for his continuous contribution since 1971.
Elmar Lossmann (Suure-Jaani) for his professional contribution to the field of folklore in 1993 and for his continuous contribution since 1985.
Ester Talussaar (Tallinn) for her professional contribution to the field of folklore in 1993 and for her continuous contribution since 1988.

1995

Marju Kõivupuu for her professional writings and recordings from Rõuge and Hargla parish, for organising a joint expedition for the students of Viljandi Culture College and the University of Tartu.
Aleksander Sünter (Saaremaa) for recording the traditions and legends of his home parish.
Heiki Valk (Tartu) for recording the older traditions and legends of Setumaa.

1996

Helmi Laars (Juuru) for her study entitled Mahtra küla ajaloost /On the history of the village of Mahtra/.
Kaleph Jõulu (Viljandi County & Rapla County) for his professional and diverse writings (200 pages, photos, letters and old songbooks).
Ülis Sõukand (Tartu) for recording modern traditions and legends (soldiers’ folklore, students’ folklore and the songs of fraternities and sororities).
Indrek Kaimer (Tallinn) posthumously for the folklore collected from Estonians in Siberia in 1995.

1997

Harvet Toots (Tõstamaa & Tallinn) for his work Pildikesi Peda ühikast Pärnu maanteelt /Sketches from the Dormitory of Tallinn Pedagogical Institute on Pärnu Highway/.
Kaleph Jõulu (Viljandi County & Rapla County) for excellent professional writing (ca 700 manuscript pages and photos).

1998

Ahto Raudoja (Setumaa) for the collection of Seto traditions and legends and for organising the collection thereof.
Jaan Malin (Tartu) for his continuous work in recording student folklore, especially that of the Building Association of the Students of Estonia (EÜE).
Leida Oeselg (Saaremaa) for recording the traditions and legends of her local area (Sõrve) and for recording modern folklore (mainly anecdotes).

1999

Leida Oeselg (Saaremaa & Tartu County) for her varied folklore records (654 pages).
Pille Niin (Tartu) for the folklore-related writings gathered in Kullamaa parish in 1997 and 1998.
Eduard Leppik (Lääne-Viru County) for his historical and cultural work.

2000

Enda Kallas (Häädemeeste) for the tales, funny stories, family legends, historical and cultural writings and photos sent during the year.
Ain Raal (Tartu) for recording the traditions and legends of Seto accordion-players.
Kadi Salu (Tartu) for recording the traditions and legends of the Building Association of the Students of Estonia.

2001

Piret Päär (Tallinn) for organising and carrying out the folklore collection contest Pöidlaküüdilood /Hitch-hiking stories/.
Veronika Savi (Tallinn) for organising and carrying out the folklore collection contest Pöidlaküüdilood /Hitch-hiking stories/.
Melika Kindel (Tartu) for the collection of place legends of Kuusalu parish and for organising the collection thereof.

2002

Leida Oeselg (Saaremaa & Võru) for recording modern birthday, birth, wedding and funeral traditions.
Liina Paales (Tartu) for recording the traditions and legends of deaf Estonians (manuscript and video).
Hans-Gunter Lock (Germany) for recording Seto song traditions.

2003

Heinrich (Heinz) Valk (Tallinn) for a collection of 61 handwritten albums. The albums were collected from 1962-2002 from Harju County, Lääne County and the island of Hiiumaa.
Pärtel Lippus (Tartu) for his sound recordings of the history of folklore and modern Santa Clause legends from the Viljandi Folk Festival and social sing-alongs.

2004

Anu Soon (Lääne-Viru County) for recording the traditions and legends of her local area.
Kail Sarv (Tallinn) for recording the student folklore at Viljandi Culture College and Tallinn University of Technology.

2005

Helgi Suluste (Tartu) for her study of musicians in the Ranna and Kodavere region.
Merlin Lõiv (Tartu) for collecting the traditions and legends of the Defence Forces of Estonia.

2006

Jüri Metssalu (Rapla County) for collecting the traditions and legends of his home place and for the study thereof.
Tiit Birkan (Harju County) for his long-term contribution to the field of folklore (since 1981 he has submitted more than 750 pages of handwritten materials to the archive).

2007

Kaleph Jõulu (Viljandi County) for collecting stories, religious stories and stories about customs and songs; for his valuable contribution in terms of collecting photos and postcards.
Risto Järv (Tartu) for collecting folklore-related materials in Järva County, Setumaa, Kullamaa and from the Estonians living in Siberia; for supervising the fieldwork of students from the University of Tartu.

2008

Jaan Malin – (Tartu) for recording student folklore and other modern materials.
Anna Rinne – (Võru) for collecting materials about birthday and funeral traditions in a professional manner and with good wording and for collecting Soviet-era beliefs and stories about Christmas and beliefs related to people’s first names.
Maret Lehto – (Tallinn) for recording folk singers and story-tellers on the island of Muhu and for the accurate forming of the materials; she is the leader of the Muhu folklore group called ‘Munukesed’.

2009

Taisto-Kalevi Raudalainen – (Tallinn) for collecting folklore in Ingria and from Ingrian-Finns living elsewhere.
Urmas Haud – (Tartu) for collecting materials about the folklore and history of the villages of Riisa and Tõramaa and for drawing up the family trees of the villagers of Riisa and making them available on the Internet.

2010

Kaie Humal – (Tartu) for collecting the traditions and legends of the areas around Lake Võrtsjärv.
Hille Tarto – (Tallinn) for storing materials gathered during a survey of herbs.

2011

Maire Sala – (Karksi-Nuia) for storing information about modern-day funeral customs and burial site traditions.
Anni Oraveer – (Haapsalu) for storing the traditions and legends of the community of blind Estonians and for storing stories in the Seto dialect.
Ellen Randoja – (Palamuse) for collecting the folksongs and folk stories of the northern part of Tartu County; for collecting the traditions and legends of the World War II period and post-war period as well as the traditions and legends of the collective farm period; for collecting colourful tales and funny stories from local people.

2012

Leelo Kund - (Co-operation and Development Chamber Võhandu) for collected materials on religion and consuetudinary from Setomaa.
Margit Korotkova - (Co-operation and Development Chamber Võhandu) for collected materials on religion and consuetudinary from Setomaa.
Triin Kusmin - (State Forest Management Centre) for the collection of heritage forest culture.
Age-Kristel Kartau – for the collection materials on professional heritage and alternative medicine.

2013

Kaie Humal – (Tartu) for consistent recording of folklore in the area of Lake Võrtsjärv from 2011–2012.
Triin Äärismaa-Unt – (Jõelähtme) for management and implementation of the project titled "Collection of oral folk heritage in the Jõelähtme district" from 2011–2012.
Rosaali (Roosi) Karjam – (Kihnu) for long-term and consistent recording of Kihnu folklore.

2014

Hillar Palamets – for lengthy and consistent collection efforts spanning 1991–2013
Terje Puistaja – for family history interviews from the village of Mahu in Virumaa
Ado Seire – for local history interviews and a collection of Soviet-era jokes from the Peetri parish in Järvamaa

2015

Eha Võso – for her remarkable contribution to the folklore gathering initiative in 2014
Katre Koppel and Liis Reha – for their coordination and performance of the project of the Viljandi Cultural Academy of the University of Tartu aimed at cultural heritage gathering, as well as for their processing of the gathered materials, from 2011-2014
Anne Rebane – for her continuous perpetuation of her family traditions