Antanas Algirdas Ramanauskas was born on 15 March 1928 in Baltrakis village, Paežeriai rural district, Vilkaviškis county, in a family of a middle peasant. In 1941, he finished six forms of a school in Šumskas, was admitted to Marijampolė gymnasium, and, upon finishing it, in 1947 became a student at the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics of Vilnius University. In November 1947 he was cautioned against skipping the lectures in military training. Less than half a year after that, on 16 January 1948, the rector of the university expelled Antanas Algirdas Ramanauskas on the proposal of the dean of the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics. In fact, Ramanauskas was arrested by the KGB and sentenced for taking part in anti-Soviet activities. His friends and fellow students, Kęstutis Jokubynas and Motiejus Dudutis, were arrested at the same time. In 1956, Antanas Algirdas Ramanauskas appealed to Vilnius University asking for his school-leaving certificate to be sent to him in Norilsk where he was planning to apply to a mining and smelting college. The document was sent to him on 4 June 1956. When Lithuania regained its independence, Antanas Algirdas Ramanauskas was granted the legal status of a freedom fighter.