Ion Ilies (1956 - 2022)

Suffering from a chronic illness, Ion Ilies – head of the Seismic Monitoring Center of the Institute of Geology and Seismology Republic of Moldova, died on September 5, 2022, at the age 66.

His parents, along with thousands of other families from Moldova, were deported in 1949 by the Soviet Government to Siberia. There, in the village of Novo-Derevensk, Yurghinsky district, Tyumen region, Russia, on March 10, 1956 was born their son Ion Ilies.

After returning to his homeland in the Republic of Moldova, Ion Ilieș was graduated from the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics of the "Ion Creangă" State University (1979). In the same year he started working at the Institute of Geology and Seismology Moldavian Academy of Sciences. Almost immediately after that, he was drafted into the Soviet Army. A year later, upon his return he continued to work at the Seismic Monitoring Center of the Institute. Starting as an engineer, he went through all the stages of career growth and ended up as the head of the Center. In this position, he activated for more than 20 years, until the last day of his life.

Ion Ilieș showed himself as a good specialist – seismologist, good mentor for his younger colleagues and a good organizer. Under his direct leadership, the national network of seismic stations was significantly expanded, the Seismic Monitoring Center was equipped with modern digital equipment and included in the European and world network of seismological observations.

Ion Ilies also contributed substantially to the strengthening of the Institute's international relations, actively participating in the implementation of joint projects with specialists from Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey and others.

In his professional activity Ion Ilies also dedicated herself to education activities. He constantly held lectures and trainings on the nature of earthquakes, seismic hazard and protective measures for decision makers, emergency response specialists, teachers and schoolchildren.

Anyone who knew him remembers him only in good words.

We offer our sincere condolences to his family, to all who knew and appreciated him.

Vasile ALCAZ, dr. hab., Institute of Geology and Seismology, Republic of Moldova