Endel Ratas (8 December 1938 Tarva,

Pärnu County Pärnu County ( et, Pärnu maakond or ''Pärnumaa''; german: Kreis Pernau) is one of 15 counties of Estonia. It is situated in the south-western part of the country, on the coast of Gulf of Riga, and borders Lääne and Rapla counties to the nor ...

– 2 September 2006) was an

Estonian Estonian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Estonia, a country in the Baltic region in northern Europe * Estonians, people from Estonia, or of Estonian descent * Estonian language * Estonian cuisine * Estonian culture See also

...

freedom fighter and politician. Since 1957 he was a member of Estonian Freedom Fighters' Union ( et, Eesti Vabadusvõitlejate Liit). From 1959 to 1963 he was in a prison camp in

Mordva Republic The Republic of Mordovia (russian: Респу́блика Мордо́вия, r=Respublika Mordoviya, p=rʲɪsˈpublʲɪkə mɐrˈdovʲɪjə; mdf, Мордовия Республиксь, ''Mordovija Respublikś''; myv, Мордовия Рес ...

, Russia. In 1979, he was one of the fourth Estonians who signed

Baltic Appeal The Baltic Appeal ( et, Balti apell, lv, Baltijas harta or ''Baltiešu memorands'', lt, 45 pabaltijiečių memorandumas) was a public letter to the general secretary of the United Nations, Soviet Union, East and West Germany, and signatories ...

. In 1988, he was a founding member of the

Estonian National Independence Party The Estonian National Independence Party, or ENIP, ( et, Eesti Rahvusliku Sõltumatuse Partei, ''ERSP''), founded on 20 August 1988 in Estonian SSR, was the first non-communist political party established in the former USSR. Founders of the party ...

(''Eesti Rahvusliku Sõltumatuse Partei'', or ''ERSP''). In 1990 he was a member of the

Congress of Estonia The Congress of Estonia ( Estonian: ''Eesti Kongress'') was an innovative grassroots parliament established in Estonia in 1990–1992 as a part of the process of regaining of independence from the Soviet Union. It also challenged the power and au ...

. In 2000, he was awarded the

Order of the National Coat of Arms The Order of the National Coat of Arms ( et, Riigivapi teenetemärk, french: Ordre du Blason National) was instituted by Konstantin Päts on 7 October 1936 to commemorate 24 February 1918, the day on which Estonian independence was declared. The ...

, III Class. In 2006 he was awarded the

Order of the White Star The Order of the White Star ( et, Valgetähe teenetemärk; french: Ordre de l'Etoile Blanche) was instituted in 1936. The Order of the White Star is bestowed on Estonia Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Balti ...

, II class.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ratas, Endel 1938 births 2006 deaths Estonian independence activists Estonian National Independence Party politicians Recipients of the Order of the National Coat of Arms, 3rd Class Recipients of the Order of the White Star, 2nd Class Estonian prisoners and detainees Gulag detainees Prisoners and detainees of the Soviet Union People from Põhja-Pärnumaa Parish