Meenutades Tullio Ilometsa

Remembering Tullio Ilomets

Abstract

Tullio Ilomets (13 July 1921 in Paide – 22 August 2018 in Tartu), an
associate professor of organic chemistry at the University of Tartu,
was one of the authors of the idea of establishing the University of
Tartu Museum and its lifelong supporter. As an active member of the
heritage protection movement, he frequently spoke about questions
regarding the preservation of the University’s cultural heritage and
the protection of the old university.
The author of this article, the chief curator of the University of
Tartu museum in the years 1979–2015, developed a very good collaboration with Tullio Ilomets on the collection and preservation of the
heritage 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 the
museum in its Toome Hill building. Despite his advanced age, he wrote his most interesting overviews on the history of science in these
years, based on the museum’s collections, on topics such as laboratory
glass, historic scales, the photographic collection of the University’s
photographer 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 Tullio
Ilomets as a person, his friendly, humorous, but very purposeful and
resilient personality.