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.
Activities and affiliations
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
Related historical events
The 1990 party split and two Estonian communist parties
The 20th congress of the Estonian Communist Party (EKP) in March 1990 ended in a split. The congress adopted a program aimed at restoring Estonian state independence and decided to sever the party's organizational ties with the CPSU. The minority of delegates who opposed this left the hall and held a rival congress on 26 March, founding the Communist Party of Estonia on the CPSU platform (EKP (NLKP platvormil), known as the 'Night Party') and electing Alexander Gusev as its first secretary. Sillari became first secretary of the majority EKP and led its new leadership, and in July 1990 the 28th CPSU congress elected him a member of the CPSU Central Committee Politburo; two organizationally separate parties thus each claimed to represent Estonian communists at the centre.
Within the CPSU a contest continued over which of them was the legitimate representative of the Estonian party. Lembit Annus, who took over the CPSU-platform Estonian Communist Party from Gusev in December 1990, was elected a full Politburo member on 31 January 1991 at a joint session of the CPSU Central Committee and the Party Central Control Commission. Sillari, who retained backing in the central leadership, could not be removed from the Politburo, and for a time Estonia had two representatives there. After the August 1991 coup attempt failed and the CPSU was banned, his posts within the CPSU structures lapsed automatically. Sillari continued to lead the Estonian Communist Party, but the party's 22nd congress in November 1992 confirmed that he had left the post of first secretary.