Heinz Valk

Heinz Valk, an Estonian artist, caricaturist, and politician, played a pivotal role in the Singing Revolution, a peaceful movement that led to Estonia’s independence from the Soviet Union. He led the grassroots Estonian People’s Front, rallying the Estonian people for political change. After the Night Song Festival on June 11, 1988, he penned an editorial on June 12, marking the emergence of the Baltic nations’ nonviolent singing movement. On June 17, 1988, Valk published the historical essay “Singing Revolution,” coining the movement’s name. His belief that a nation could revolutionize through smiles and songs underscored the movement’s peaceful unity and the transformative power of music and culture. Heinz Valk’s contributions as an artist, leadership, and role in defining the Singing Revolution make him a significant figure in Estonia’s history.