Ilya Sats was an outstanding Russian composer, conductor, and cellist. Born in 1875 in Chernobyl, into a Jewish family. He received his musical education at the Kyiv Music School and the Moscow Conservatory (cello class), where he also studied counterpoint under Sergey Taneyev. From 1903 to 1907, he continued his studies at the Music and Drama School of the Moscow Philharmonic Society. Ilya Sats's theatrical career began in 1905 when he was appointed head of the music department at the Povarskaya Theatre Studio. In 1906, he became the head of the music department and conductor of the Moscow Art Theatre. His music for the production of Maurice Maeterlinck's "The Blue Bird" gained particular popularity. The composer also created musical scores for productions at the Maly Theatre, Vera Komissarzhevskaya's Drama Theatre, and the parody cabaret theatre "Crooked Mirror". In addition to his theatrical work, Sats was actively involved in musical and educational activities. In 1905, he founded the "Circle of Artistic Quests", aimed at exploring new expressive means in opera directing, and the "Music of the Peoples" circle. As one of the pioneers of Jewish ethnography in Russia, he collected folk melodies and incorporated them into his compositions, including the music for the performance "Miserere" based on the play by Semyon Yushkevich. The online collection of the Bakhrushin Theatre Museum holds materials related to Ilya Sats' creative journey and his contribution to the development of Russian theatrical art.