Ilya

I was born in St, Petersburg, Russia, but just before my 16th birthday moved to New York City with my mother. I went to university in San Francisco and after graduating I spent years traveling the world as a spoken word artist, living in Tokyo, Barcelona and Tuscany, and seeing as much of the world as I could.

I returned to California and moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in Film Production and have worked as a Production Designer until that work brought me to Amsterdam. After becoming a father I had to give up film work and switched to working in upscale restaurants. Meanwhile I continue writing and telling stories in Mezrab. Finally i decided to combine my love of storytelling with my fascination of history by becoming a tour guide in this beautiful city that I have lived in for almost 20 years. Come to share some of my stories, that connect history with present day reality of Amsterdam delivered with a generous helping of humour, and see what makes this city so special for me!