Hendrik Allik

Hendrik Allik (15 March 1901 – 8 May 1989) was a communist Estonian politician for the Estonian SSR and a long-term member of the Estonian Communist Party.[1]

Hendrik Allik
Deputy Chairman of the Estonian SSR Council of Ministers
In office
1943–1950
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded byAleksander Ansberg
In office
1965–1973
Council of People's Commissars of the Estonian SSR
In office
1945 – March 25, 1946
Personal details
Born
Hendrik Allik

(1901-03-15)15 March 1901
Veelikse, Russian Empire (present day Estonia)
Died8 May 1989(1989-05-08) (aged 88)
Tallinn, ESSR
Political partyEstonian Communist Party
Spouse(s)Olga Lauristin
Children2 (Jaak Allik)
Alma materTallinn University of Technology
Military service
Battles/warsThe Great Patriotic War

Early life

Hendrik worked for the Baltic Cotton Factory (Estonian: Balti Puuvillavabrik) in 1916–1922 and as a contributing editor for magazines and newspapers.[1]

During the 1920's, Hendrik became politically active. He was elected to the Estonian Parliament and, in November 1924, sentenced to life imprisonment in the Trial of the 149 due to the illegal nature of the Estonian Communist Party.[2] In prison Hendrik continued to edit illegal communist newspapers, such as the Vangimaja Kiir.

However his imprisonment lasted only until 1938, when the president of Estonia, Konstantin Päts, pardoned the communists subsequently allowing for Hendrik's release. Following this Hendrik and other communists set up an underground organization from 1938 onwards.

The Great Patriotic War

Since the communists saw president Päts as a dictator, they planned to overtake the government. With the outbreak of World War II, Estonia was becoming a mere puppet state for the Soviet Union. On 21 June 1940 a coup d'état known as the "June Coup" (Estonian: Juunipööre) was organized and acted on, giving rise to the Estonian Communist Party. After the coup d'état the Estonian SSR was founded and Hendrik was elected as the People's Commissariat of Trade and Industry, which he held until June 1941.

When the German invasion of Soviet Union occurred in the summer of 1941, Hendrik moved to Russia. In 1942 he was appointed more roles in Estonia and became the political commissar of the 8th Estonian Rifle Corps, taking part in hostilities near Velikiye Luki, Nevel, and Novosokolniki.[3] He also defended the 3rd Baltic Front, and advanced from Pskov to Narva.

Activities in post-war Estonian SSR

As Joseph Stalin had been dissatisfied with the actions of Nikolai Karotamm, he was dismissed of his prestigious positions in March 1950 (being a de facto leader of the Estonian SSR).[4] Consequently, as Hendrik was a close associate of Karotamm, Hendrik was stripped of his positions and sentenced to 25 years in prison (sent to Siberia) despite receiving the Order of Lenin just months prior for his duty during the war.[2] However Hendrik was released during the Khrushchev Thaw and was allowed to return to Estonia in 1955.[5] Hendrik spent 20 years in prison, 15 in Estonia and 5 in the Soviet Union.

Hendrik was returned his position as Deputy Chairman of the Estonian SSR Council of Ministers in 1965 and kept this position until 1973. He received awards for his duty in the Second World War and for his promotion of the culture Estonian SSR and its communist beliefs.

Personal life

Hendrik married to Olga Lauristin after the war, and they conceived son Jaak Allik (1946–) who also became a prominent member of the Estonian Communist Party. He died in on May 8, 1989 in Tallinn.

Awards

See also
  • Jaak Allik (son of Olga Lauristin and Hendrik Allik)
  • Olga Lauristin (wife of Hendrik Allik 1945–1989)

References
  1. "Eesti biograafiline andmebaas ISIK". www2.kirmus.ee. Retrieved 2020-09-13.
  2. Romuald J. Misiunas, Rein Taagepera: ”Postwar Stalinism: 1945-1953”, The Baltic States, Years of Dependence, 1940-1980, s. 80. Berkeley, Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1983.
  3. Johannes Käbin: “People's Power”,  Great October and Estonia , p. 91. Translated by I.Petrov. Tallinn: Periodicals, 1975.
  4. Toivo U. Raun: “The Stalin Period 1944-1953”,  History of Estonia , p. 211. Translated by Heidi Järvenpää. Helsinki: Kustanusosakeyhtiö Otava, 1989.
  5. Olga Lauristin: "My ideal is communism." 4/28/2003 Danger page. Referred on 16.11.2015. (in Estonian)
  6. "Аллик Гендрик Гансович :: Память народа". pamyat-naroda.ru. Retrieved 2020-09-13.
  7. "Аллик Хендрик Хансович :: Память народа". pamyat-naroda.ru. Retrieved 2020-09-13.
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