[5] The Milius art collection started in 1962 thanks to a classmate's mother, Helene Ivask-Kulpa, who was the daughter of the literary scholar and bookplate researcher Udo-Nestor Ivask.

She gave Milius a bookplate every time the young man got a good grade in science, English, or Russian.

[5] In 1966, Milius met the art collector Mart Lepp, at whose initiative he became interested in older Estonian graphics.

From 1970 to 1980, Milius was engaged in samizdat, copying and distributing the works of several authors on a typewriter, and publishing self-published collections, including the almanacs Karjamaa [et] (Pasture) and Sõna [et] (Word).

Before his death, Milius mainly focused on contemporary art from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Armenia.