Meenutades Tullio Ilometsa: Remembering Tullio Ilomets

Abstract

Tullio Ilomets (13 July 1921 in Paide – 22 August 2018 in Tartu), anassociate professor of organic chemistry at the University of Tartu,was one of the authors of the idea of establishing the University ofTartu Museum and its lifelong supporter. As an active member of theheritage protection movement, he frequently spoke about questionsregarding the preservation of the University’s cultural heritage andthe protection of the old university.The author of this article, the chief curator of the University ofTartu museum in the years 1979–2015, developed a very good collaboration with Tullio Ilomets on the collection and preservation of theheritage objects of the university over the decades.Tullio Ilomets worked at the university for over 65 years. His final(and very fruitful) years were spent working as a consultant to themuseum in its Toome Hill building. Despite his advanced age, he wrote his most interesting overviews on the history of science in theseyears, based on the museum’s collections, on topics such as laboratoryglass, historic scales, the photographic collection of the University’sphotographer Kald, etc.Tullio Ilomets’ extensive activities in the area of heritage protection received attention and awards: the Order of the White Star,Third Class was bestowed on him in 2001. He was an honorary citizen of Tartu and recipient of the Tartu Suurtäht decoration (2001).The writer of this article has also attempted to reflect on TullioIlomets as a person, his friendly, humorous, but very purposeful andresilient personality