Vladislav Koržets
Vladislav Koržets (born 9 September 1951) is a humourist, journalist, poet and fishing enthusiast.
He was born in Krasnoyarsk Krai in Siberia as a child of Estonian and Polish parents. From 1957, he attended school in Tallinn, from 1970–1974 studied at Tallinn Pedagogical Institute from which he graduated as a teacher of mathematics. He worked for the humour magazine Pikker and the newspaper Pühapäevaleht and as chief editor of the fishing magazine Kalastaja. He is a member of the Estonian Writers’ Union from 1991.
The creative path of the versatile author Koržets began with humorous stories, the first of which was published in the newspaper Noorte Hääl in 1974. He has written plays for children, e.g. Näärila ja Närula (a new year performance, staged in 1983, 20 years later staged under the title Jõuluvana ja Jõlevana - ‘Santa Claus and Creepy Claus’) and Koll Kalli (‘Bogeyman Kalli’, staged in 1985) and for adults, e.g. the comedy Tühivaim (‘Hollow Spirit’, staged in 1986) which is based on A. H. Tammsaare’s novel Põrgupõhja uus Vanapagan (‘The Misadventures of the New Satan’) and shows the vices of the present-day world in a distorting mirror. Tühivaim received the second prize at the playwriting competition of the Youth Theatre.
The collections of children’s stories Üks tüdruk, nimi Merike (‘A Girl Called Merike’, 1982) and Ükskord ühes paigas (‘Once at a Place’, 2018) have appeared as separate books.
Koržets has written film scripts, comical sketches and song lyrics. His lyrics for the song Aed (‘The Garden’, 1987) by the famous Estonian rock group Ultima Thule was voted the best Estonian rock lyrics of all time by readers of the culture portal of Estonian Public Broadcasting in 2020. He has been the presenter of the environment programme Osoon (‘Ozone’) on Estonian Television. In recent years, he has also attracted attention as a poet. His debut collection Laulud või nii (‘Songs or So’, 2016, Literature Endowment Annual Award) is full of puns and language games. It contains both humorous and everlasting themes and reflections; its conceptual sequel is Inglijaht, ehk Uued laulud või nii (‘Hunt on Angels or New Songs or So’, 2020).
Koržets has also received the second prize in Moscow in 1987 for his radio play Taevane muna (‘Heavenly Egg’, staged in 1982), the Oskar Luts Humour Prize (1988), the Order of the White Star, Class V (2011) and the Estonian Honorary Nature Conservation Badge (2017).
A. K. (Translated by I. A.)
Books in Estonian
Poetry
Laulud või nii. Tallinn: Sõnavald, 2016, 52 lk. [2 trükk: 2018.]
Mõtteleek: Ülev Suurmõlgi valitud mõtteid, sõnavõtte ja poeese. Tallinn: Sõnavald, 2018, 127 lk.
Inglijaht, ehk Uued laulud või nii: salmitud 2016-2020. Tallinn: Sõnavald, 2020, 76 lk.
Humour
On nigu on. Tallinn: EKP KK Kirjastus, 1989, 95 lk.
Vladislav Koržets, Harri Lehiste, Härra kodanik Männike. Tallinn: Sõnavald, 2020, 381 lk.
Books for children
Üks tüdruk, nimi Merike. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1982, 31 lk.
Ükskord ühes paigas: lood lastele ja lastest vanematele. Tallinn: Sõnavald, 2018, 111 lk.
Books about fishing
Õngitsemine. Tallinn: Kalastaja Raamat, 2003, 352 lk.
Koržetsi kalaraamat. Tallinn: Forma Media, 2006, 131 lk.
Õngitsemine+. Tallinn: Sõnavald, 2013, 400 lk.
Koržetsi suur kalaraamat. Tallinn: Sõnavald, 2016, 656 lk.