Illya

Picture from Lisa's Video Frame Capture Library

Name: Illya Kuryakin

Age: 32

Hair: Blond

Eyes: Blue

Height: 5'7"

Weight: 150

Birthplace: Moscow, Russia

Current Residence: New York City

Occupation: Spy

Special Skills: Explosives, stealth, climbing, acrobatics, sarcasm, eating.

Likes: U.N.C.L.E., Napoleon, cats, the basic ideas of Communism, protecting the innocent.

Dislikes: Anyone presenting danger to the innocent, Mr. Ecks, the way Communism was carried out, the trouble his country had transitioning to Capitalism, Napoleon's womanizing.

Backstory: Illya grew up in the waning years of Communism in Russia. As a child he was placed in various state-run programs that he did not like but had no say in. Things weren't happy for his family after the fall of Communism, however, and they struggled to survive in their changing country for most of Illya's youth. After his father died, Illya took over as the head of the household and did what he could to provide for the rest of his family.

When of age, he joined the military. He rose to an important position as he strove to help his country fully get back on its feet. THRUSH was trying everything they could to get a foothold in Russia, figuring it would be much easier with everything in such confusion, and Illya led the fight against them with diligence and strength. This caught the attention of the U.N.C.L.E., and Illya was offered an invitation to join the international fight against evil. After debating with himself over whether he should stay in Russia or branch out to protect all countries that THRUSH was trying to take over, he finally accepted the invitation.

For some time Illya worked out of the London branch of U.N.C.L.E. His path, oddly enough, may have crossed with Ecks and Wye very briefly a time or so and their encounters were not remembered later. More importantly, his work was so impressive that Alexander Waverly of the New York branch took note. He had been watching the Russian agent from the beginning, actually, and had been instrumental in arranging the invitation to join U.N.C.L.E. Now he felt the time was right to ask Illya to transfer to the New York branch. Not only did he have a mission that required someone of Russian descent, he felt Illya would work very well with the top New York agent, Napoleon Solo.

It had been hard to adjust to London from Moscow, and harder to adjust to New York, but Illya was up to the challenge. Although he and Napoleon distrusted and disliked each other at first, they were mature adults who were willing to work together when it was necessary. They just made sure to depart as soon as they could take leave of each other's company.

While Napoleon was exasperated by Illya's icy, aloof demeanor and felt he was too cold-hearted at times, Illya was thoroughly frustrated by Napoleon's fascination with women and flirting. But the more they worked together, the more the goodness of each began to shine through. And, almost without them fully being aware of it, they were becoming very comfortable, even liking to share a drink or a meal after a case was wrapped up. Their friendship was gradually taking shape.

By the time of The Odd Man Affair, they were quite used to each other's quirks, even though they still did not care for some of them. Napoleon was bothered by Illya's stabbing of Mr. Ecks, feeling it wouldn't have had to be done. But he realized that Illya felt it was the best option under the circumstances and that Illya was bound and determined not to let any innocent people suffer at the hands of any enemy agents. Illya was willing to do anything he could to protect the innocent.

Illya was most unbothered by what he had done to Mr. Ecks, until he and Napoleon began to talk after the case was over and Napoleon eventually pointed out that they could have done otherwise to subdue Ecks and he might have talked if he wasn't one of the organization's fanatics. Napoleon also mused on whether in other circumstances, Ecks and Wye could have been U.N.C.L.E. agents while Napoleon and Illya could have been the enemy. Illya began to feel a bit concerned wondering if he should have done differently and if Ecks wouldn't have been a danger had they simply knocked him out and captured him, but it was too late to change what had happened. Illya determined to put it behind him.

He was only successful at that until they returned to New York from London. Then Ecks' apparent ghost began to haunt Illya off and on in Illya's apartment, much to Illya's consternation. At first he thought it was a dream or even a hallucination and that he was more upset by what he had done than he had thought. Still, he didn't really believe that, so he turned to the only other possible option: that it was a genuine haunting. He learned to expect and tolerate Ecks' presence, and when the visits ceased at last, Illya breathed a sigh of relief.

He had quite put them out of his mind by the time a mysterious person hacked into U.N.C.L.E.'s computer mainframe to send Illya the news that he was going to be stalked. Illya grew frustrated and angry as the weeks passed without him able to catch the strange stalker, who continually taunted Illya by sending him pictures of what he was doing. When the stalker at last revealed himself as a living Mr. Ecks, Illya took it in stride but was inwardly shaken for several reasons. He had started to see Ecks as a dark mirror of himself, which he revealed to Napoleon. He also remembered the experiences of being haunted and had to wonder anew what they had been, since Ecks had been revealed as alive.

They continued to have encounters with the former enemy agents off and on, until The Peaceful Meadows Affair forced them to agree to a truce in order to solve a very disturbing case. When Ecks tried to save Napoleon from being killed during the climatic battle and was shot instead, Illya was faced with the situation of his enemy laying dying and Illya owing him for saving Napoleon. Illya felt Ecks deserved another chance. Instead of standing by and watching Wye and Napoleon vainly try to revive Ecks with CPR, Illya set about rewiring the unusual beam gun so that it would work in reverse and, he hoped, restart Ecks' heart as it had stopped it. He was successful, and Ecks was restored to life. This time Illya had saved him.

That doesn't mean that he and Ecks always get along beautifully these days. They still have their snarky, teasing banter and flat, unimpressed replies. But they do have a certain respect for each other, and Ecks is most certainly grateful that Illya gave him his life back.

Personality and Interests: Illya is still very often cold, aloof, and sarcastic. But he feels very deeply behind that icy exterior and can't stand for any innocent person to suffer at the hands of evil.

He prefers to work in the shadows with stealth and cunning, and acrobatics if he has to. He is an expert with explosives and has needed to put bombs together or diffuse them many times on cases. He is willing to put on various facades to go undercover on cases, such as that of a shy, nervous fellow. He hates to be on exhibition and will refuse to publicly perform onstage, even for a case, unless it's an order.

While Illya certainly isn't blind to the appeal of women, he is still irritated with Napoleon's focus on it. Nevertheless, he does appreciate that Napoleon won't let his interest interfere with a case. Illya rarely dates, preferring instead to focus on his job, his mission, and platonic relationships, but he has been known to take a girl on the town now and then.

Having grown up learning to be frugal and practical, Illya is also irritated with Napoleon's love of living an expensive lifestyle, filled with expensive suits and other luxuries. He knows, however, that this will not change and has learned to accept it. That doesn't mean he won't still comment now and then.

Napoleon, nevertheless, is still Illya's best friend. Illya has complete knowledge of Napoleon's loyalty, and even when things looked seriously bad for Napoleon's career in The Summit Five Affair, Illya never doubted him for an instant. They have truly come a long way from their earliest distrust and dislike of each other.

Illya loves food and has the amazing ability to eat a great deal of it without gaining weight. Napoleon often comments on this. Illya is also a very good cook, a skill he learned years earlier.

When he has the chance to read, he prefers very deep novels that really make him think about the state of the world. He doesn't care a great deal for most comedies, finding them nonsense. But every now and then he is secretly amused by something.

He loves cats and is always happy to look after a neighbor's feline, such as Mrs. Pumpkin-Klanger's Siamese. Cats seem to love him, too.

Having been exposed to both atheist and religious views in his country, Illya isn't fully sure what he believes. He didn't want to believe Ecks was haunting him, but he preferred to think that rather than to think he was so upset that he was hallucinating the experiences. He also knows that he astral-projected once, when badly hurt, and told Napoleon where to find him. He doesn't like to talk about it, however.

Although it was hard to think of moving to New York at first, now Illya really doesn't want to leave. He still loves Russia, but America is his home. His job is here and so are his loved ones. He long ago ceased to find it an insult to be called an American; he has dual nationality now, of both America and Russia.