This is the picture of the family of my grandson Nikolay, Ilia’s child. The photo was taken in 2002 in Brazil.
My son Iliycho [Ilia] Georgiev Iliev was born in 1953 and finished his secondary education at the Ruse music school. We knew he had the talent for music, but we didn't expect that he would get addicted to music. This way he outlined his own fate. After that, he graduated from the Conservatory in Sofia, specializing in violin. There he met his wife, Svetla Nikolaeva Toteva, who was also born in Ruse. She's a cello player. Between 1980 and 1992 they were both members of the Ruse Opera orchestra. Then a Brazilian impresario came to the Ruse Opera; I don't know how he persuaded them, but in 1992 twelve members of the orchestra decided to leave for Brazil to strengthen their orchestra there. Off they went and it's now twelve years I haven't seen them. That's what I feel heavy at heart about. In fact, Iliycho went first and two years after him, his wife and two children, Milena and Nikolay, went to join him. They gave birth to a third child there: Victor.
