Martins Kibilds' widow, seven years after his death: grief is my shadow

Seven years after the sudden death of Latvian television host and journalist Martins Kibilds, his wife Ilze Grase-Kibilde has published an emotional post on Instagram. She says the pain of the loss remains an inseparable part of her life, but that for the sake of their two children she chooses to keep living and to fill everyday life with joy.

The post was published to mark 26 October, the day in 2019 when Kibilds' life was unexpectedly cut short.

The widow's words

Grase-Kibilde writes that since 26 October 2019 grief has been her shadow – always beside her and a part of her. She says she continues to live fully for the children's sake, because that is what her husband would have wanted had she been the one to depart so suddenly. The experience, she writes, has changed her and her life forever. Kibilds will never be forgotten, she says, and she will not allow it, for the sake of their children and of the people who knew him.

What happened in 2019

Martins Kibilds died on 26 October 2019 at the age of 46. The tragedy occurred in Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, where he had travelled with his wife for a weekend break. He died suddenly in his sleep at a hotel. The family later said the cause of death was acute coronary heart disease.

Kibilds was one of the best-known television presenters in Latvia. Viewers remember him as the host of the quiz show "Gribi būt miljonārs?" (the Latvian version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?"), as well as the creator of the programmes "Adreses", "Atslēgas" and "Kultūrdeva". His passions were Latvian history, architecture and cultural heritage, and through his programmes he helped viewers see Latvian buildings, places and historical events from a new perspective.

After her husband's death, Grase-Kibilde has worked to preserve his creative legacy so that his work remains available to future generations.