At the age of 76, the celebrated Odessa artist Sergey Mikhailovich Ilyin passed away unexpectedly. He was a member of the Odessa regional branch of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine, an art historian, and a senior researcher at the Odessa Museum of Western and Eastern Art.

Born on April 30, 1949, Sergey Ilyin graduated from the Grekov Odessa Art School and the art and graphic faculty of the South Ukrainian National Pedagogical University. He dedicated many years to working at the Museum of Western and Eastern Art, making a significant contribution to its development.

Sergey Mikhailovich was deeply committed to his craft, and his genuine love for culture and art allowed him to play an important role in the artistic community. He skillfully combined the roles of an art historian and a literary scholar, always managing exhibitions with a clear understanding of each artist's essence.

Since 1996, he also led a film lecture series at the museum while continuing to create paintings. Sergey Ilyin participated in numerous international exhibitions in cities like Paris, Brussels, and others, with personal exhibitions held in Potsdam, Kyiv, and his hometown of Odessa.

Among his peers and friends, Sergey Ilyin was regarded as a talented, kind, and honorable person, a true intellectual.

The Odessa City Council expresses heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones of this distinguished painter.