Conference on writer Vladimir Macura under the auspices of the Czech Embassy
19.09.2025 / 12:49 | Aktualizováno: 19.09.2025 / 12:52
Under the auspices of the Czech Embassy in Tallinn, a conference was held on September 16 at the Estonian Academy of Sciences to mark the 80th birthday of Vladimír Macura, a prominent Czech writer, literary scholar and translator who contributed to the development of Czech-Estonian cultural cooperation and supported Estonian efforts for independence during the Soviet era.
Macura focused his work mainly on the Czech National Revival, the period of socialism and their mythology, and was also active in the dissident environment. Speakers at the conference included Zdeněk Beránek, Czech Ambassador to Estonia; Pavel Janoušek, literary historian and former member of the Czech Academy of Sciences; Luboš Švec from Charles University; Jaan Undusk from the Estonian Academy of Sciences; Maarja Vaino, director of the Literature Center in Tallinn, Kristi Metste from the Estonian Literary Museum, and translator Küllike Tohver.
Vladimír Macura founded and subsequently led the Baltic Union, an illegal organization supporting relations with the occupied Baltic nations. In addition to his own rich literary output, he translated works by a number of Estonian authors (Paul-Eerik Rummo, Enn Vetemaa, Aimée Beekman, Jaan Kross, Betti Alver, Mati Unt, Jaan Kaplinski, Arvo Valton, Lennart Meri, and others).