Sergei Issakov
Estonian literary scholar and politician
About Sergei Issakov
Lived 1931 – 2013 (aged 81). Sergei Issakov was a Russian and Estonian politician, scholar, literary scholar, university teacher, man of letters and philologist.
Sergei Gennadievich Issakov (; 8 October 1931, Narva – 11 January 2013, Tartu) was an Estonian literary scholar and politician.
Issakov was born into a family of first generation intellectuals (his grandmothers and grandparents were workers and peasants, but his father and mother became intellectuals). His parents were from Narva and of Russian descent. In 1941, his father was arrested on charges of espionage. A special meeting sentenced him to seven and a half years of imprisonment, and two years later he died in the camp.
He studied with Juri Lotman at the University of Tartu and graduated in 1954 as a philologist of Russian. In 1955, he became a university lecturer, and from 1978 to 1997, he was a professor, and afterwards, an emeritus professor. Issakov was a Doctor of Philology from 1976 to his death. He worked as a lecturer in Russian literature at the University of Helsinki.
From 1995 to 1999, Issakov was a member of the Riigikogu for the pro-Russian Our Home is Estonia coalition, representing Tartu.
Works Issakov had published numerous studies primarily on Russian-Estonian cultural relations.
"Postitõllaga läbi Eestimaa" compilation (1971). Collected works "Tartu Ülikooli ajalugu", co-authored (1982). The Estonian-language studies in the collection "Arhiivide peidikuist" (1983). "Mälestusi Tartu Ülikoolist (17.–19. sajand)" (compilation) Tallinn, Eesti Raamat, 1986. "Tuhandeaastane teekond. Venelased Eestis. Kultuurilugu" (2009)
Awards 3rd Class of the Order of the White Star (received 23 February 2003) Annual Cultural Endowment for Literature Prize (2010)
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Important facts
People in Sergei Issakov's life
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Frequently asked questions
Who was Sergei Issakov?
Estonian literary scholar and politician (1931–2013)
When was Sergei Issakov born?
Sergei Issakov was born on 8 October 1931 in Narva.
When did Sergei Issakov die?
Sergei Issakov died on 11 January 2013 in Tartu.
What was Sergei Issakov's occupation?
Sergei Issakov was a politician, scholar, literary scholar, university teacher, man of letters and philologist.
What nationality was Sergei Issakov?
Sergei Issakov was Russian and Estonian.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Sergei Issakov. https://biography.guide/sergei-issakov/
MLA: "Sergei Issakov." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/sergei-issakov/.
Chicago: "Sergei Issakov." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/sergei-issakov/.
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