Enn-Arno Augustovich Sillari
Enn-Arno Augustovich Sillari
1944–
○ Business career after political defeat
The last Soviet-aligned communist leader of Estonia amid a party split
When the party split in 1990, Sillari became first secretary of the faction that retained its link to the CPSU.
Enn-Arno Sillari rose from factory engineering into the city and central structures of the Estonian Communist Party. When the party split in 1990 between a majority seeking Estonian sovereignty and a faction remaining with the CPSU, he led the latter, attempting to preserve both the Soviet institutional link and an organized communist movement in Estonia. As a CPSU Central Committee Politburo member and first secretary of the CPSU-aligned Estonian Communist Party in 1990–91, his authority was tied to a union whose political basis was collapsing. He continued to lead the party after Estonia restored independence, but resigned after its defeat in the 1992 parliamentary elections and later worked in business.
Career Timeline
- 1967Graduated from Kaunas Polytechnic Institute, specializing in mechanical processing of fibers
- 1967–1972Worked as an engineer and production specialist at the Keila factory in Tallinn
- 1972–1976Head of the industry and transport department, Lenin District Party Committee, Tallinn
- 1984–1986First Secretary of the Tartu City Party Committee
- 1986–1989First Secretary of the Tallinn City Party Committee
- 1989–1990Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the Estonian SSR
- 1990–1991Member of the CPSU Central Committee Politburo
- 1990–1992First Secretary of the CPSU-aligned Estonian Communist Party
- 1992–2024Estonian businessman and co-owner of Balteco
The Soviet Politburo
- Full member 1990.07–1991.01
1991.01 removed