Ingrid Kivirähk
Estonian puppeteer and actor (1931–2024)
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Ingrid Kivirähk (née Kasesalu until 1953; 18 May 1931 – 21 February 2024) was an Estonian puppeteer and actor. She had a career spanning several decades. She was known for her work at Estonian Television (ETV), where she became a household name through her contributions to children's programming.[1] She was a voice actress for many animated films dubbed into Estonian, participated in Estonian Radio radio dramas, and contributed a memorable vocal part to the sound recording of Arne Oit's hit song "Seenekorjamise laul" ("The Mushroom Picking Song", 1964).[2]
18 May 1931
Ingrid Kivirähk | |
|---|---|
| Born | Ingrid Kasesalu 18 May 1931 Tallinn, Estonia |
| Died | 21 February 2024 (aged 92) Tallinn, Estonia |
Resting place | Metsakalmistu |
| Occupations | Puppeteer, actress |
| Years active | 1952–1993 |
| Spouse |
Ants Kivirähk
(m. 1953; died 1986) |
| Children | Tiina Vapper, Juhan Kivirähk, Andrus Kivirähk |
| Relatives | Kaarin Kivirähk (granddaughter) |
Early life and education
Ingrid Kivirähk was born Ingrid Kasesalu in Tallinn. Her father was a driver and her mother was a homemaker. She studied at Tallinn Secondary School No. 7 (now, Tallinn English College) from 1945 to 1947 and at the Drama Theatre Training Studio from 1951 to 1952, and graduated from the Viljandi School of Cultural Education in 1967 with a degree in club work.[3]
Career
She joined the Estonian Theatre Union in 1953.[4] She was an actress at the Puppet Theatre from 1952 to 1955 and 1959 to 1962. Between 1965 and 1982, she was an assistant sound engineer at Estonian Television (ETV) and worked as a record library staff member from 1982 to 1992. She primarily performed as a puppet actress in several popular ETV children's series. She portrayed Tipp for 16 years (1965–1981) in the television series Tipp ja Täpp, by Uno Leies.[5][6]
Roles
| Year | Role | Production |
|---|---|---|
| 1952 | Egli | White Friend (Sudarushkin) |
| 1952 | Orphan | The Orphan's Hand Mill (Kangilaski) |
| 1953 | Ajlo | Kingdom of Crooked Mirrors (Gubarev and Uspensky) |
| 1953 | Snow White | Snow White (Kelder) |
| 1954 | Little Red Riding Hood | Little Red Riding Hood (Toona) |
| 1954 | Daryusha | Silverhoof the Goat (Yermakov) |
| 1959 | Mei | The Ugly Girl (Jakob) |
| 1959 | Ostrich | The Insatiable Elephant's Child (Kipling and Vladytsina) |
| 1960 | Mei | Happy Mei (Jakob) |
| 1960 | Little Kid | The Wolf and the Seven Young Goats (Kompanyets) |
| 1960 | Scribe | The Devil's Watermill (Drda and Štok) |
| 1962 | Milli | Bunnies' School (Mantchev) |
| 1962 | Little Red Riding Hood and Bunny | Buratino Flies to the Moon (Leies) |
| 1962 | Miki | Bitter Enemies (Leies) |
| 1992 | Tiiu | Christmas Spirits (Kallak) at the Puppet Theatre |
| 1993 | Orphan | Twelve Months (Marshak) at the Puppet Theatre |
Roles in Estonian Television children's series
| Years | Role | Series |
|---|---|---|
| 1965–1981 | Tipp | Tipp ja Täpp |
| 1967–1980 | Telepoiss | Telepoiss |
| 1981–1983 | Tibu and Puppy | Kikerikii |
| 1988–1990 | Chestnut Girl | The Adventures of Tammetõru |
Personal life
She was married to Ants Kivirähk. She was the mother of Tiina Vapper, Juhan Kivirähk, and Andrus Kivirähk.[7][8]
Ingrid Kivirähk is buried at Metsakalmistu in Tallinn, within the "Teatritegelaste kvartal" (Theatre Figures Quarter).[9][10]