Tarmo Vahter

Tarmo Vahter (born 30 June 1970) is a journalist and author of several documentary books.

Vahter graduated from the University of Tartu in 1994 specialising in journalism. From 1992, he has worked as a journalist for the newspaper Eesti Ekspress. He is a member of the Estonian Writers’ Union from 2022. His brother Tauno Vahter is a writer and the chief editor of the Tänapäev publishing company.

Vahter has published several books on recent Estonian history. In 2009, he published the book Lennart Meri. Kolmat põlve poliitik (‘Lennart Meri. A Third-generation Politician’) which tells the story of the Estonian president’s family from the beginning of the 20th century to the end of Stalin’s time. The book Vaba riigi tulek: 1991. Kuus otsustavat kuud (‘Coming of the Free State: 1991. Six Crucial Months’) appeared in 2011. It is based on the materials of the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, police and other public institutions and of the US archives which had not been published earlier. Based on the entries of the diary of an Estonian border guard officer, the book restores the course of the Russian August putsch in Estonia. In 2012, Vaba riigi tulek was published in Russian under the title Эстония: жаркое лето 91-го Августовский путч и возрождение независимости (‘Estonia: The Hot Summer of 91. The August Putsch and the Restoration of Independence’).

In December 2021, Vahter published the book Võitlus tuleviku pärast. 1933–1936: Pätsi aja rääkimata lood (‘Struggle for the Future. 1933–1936: Untold Stories of Päts’ Time’). The book describes how State Elder (later President) Konstantin Päts seized the power on 12 March 1934 and the events immediately before and after. Collection of material for the book and its writing took Vahter approximately five years. In addition to Estonian archives, he searched for information in Finnish, British, German and US archives.

L. P. (Translated by I. A.)

Books in Estonian

Documentary books
Lennart Meri. Kolmat põlve poliitik: lugusid, dokumente ja pilte Lennart Merist ja tema esivanematest. Tallinn: Eesti Ekspressi Kirjastus, 2009. 168 lk.
Vaba riigi tulek: 1991. Kuus otsustavat kuud. Tallinn: Eesti Ekspress, 2011. 336 lk.
„Karuks istus vangitornis…”: 1980 – aasta, mis raputas Eestit. Tallinn: Hea Lugu, 2015. 486 lk.
Võitlus tuleviku pärast. 1933–1936: Pätsi aja rääkimata lood. Tallinn: Heliades, 2021. 400 lk.