Pratsun (Pratzun) Rafael Aronovich (7 May 1938, Riga) — design engineer.

Rafael Pratsun was born into the family of Tauba Pratsun (née Balkina) (9 April 1912, Riga) and Aron Pratsun (b. 1909, Kraslava). In 1941 he was evacuated to Samarkand together with his mother. In 1954 he graduated from Riga Secondary School No. 15. In 1958 he completed studies at the Riga Polytechnic of the Ministry of Local Municipal Economy, qualifying as an automotive technician.

From 1958 to 1960 he worked as a mechanic at Auto Repair Plant No. 42. In 1960–1962 he was a technician at the design institute “Latgiproprom”. In 1962 he worked as a design engineer at the Central Design and Engineering Bureau of the Ministry of Motor Transport and Highways. From 1962 to 1965 he served in the Soviet Army.

In 1965–1969 he worked as a design engineer at the Central Design Bureau for Mechanisation and Automation of the Latvian SSR. From 1969 he was a design engineer at the motorcycle factory “Sarkana Zvaigzne”. He was awarded the medal “20 Years of Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941–45”.

Married to Elena Pratsun (née Rikelman) (b. 1945, Ramenskoye, Moscow Region); their daughter Arianna Pratsun was born in 1970 in Riga. In 1971 Rafael Pratsun received permission to emigrate to Israel at the invitation of his mother’s sister, Frida Rutshtein (née Balkina) (b. 1914, Riga).

Family:

Elena Pratsun (née Rikelman) (1945, Ramenskoye, Moscow Region) — wife
Arianna Pratsun (1970, Riga) — daughter
Aron Pratsun (1909, Kraslava) — father
Tauba Pratsun (née Balkina) (1912, Riga) — mother
Frida Rutshtein (née Balkina) (1914, Riga) — maternal aunt