Illya Kuryakin

Illya Kuryakin
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. character
David McCallum as Illya Kuryakin
Portrayed byDavid McCallum (television)
Armie Hammer (film)
In-universe information
OccupationSecret agent
NationalitySoviet

Illya Kuryakin is a fictional character from the 1960s TV spy series, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. He is a secret agent with a range of weapons and explosives skills, and is described in the series as holding a master's degree from the Sorbonne and a Ph.D. in Quantum Mechanics from the University of Cambridge ("The Her Master's Voice Affair"). And attended the University of Georgia in Ukraine, where he studied gymnastics among other things ("Hot Number"). Kuryakin speaks many languages, including French, Spanish ("The Very Important Zombie Affair"), German, Arabic, Italian and Japanese ("The Cherry Blossom Affair"). The series was remarkable for pairing an American character, Napoleon Solo, with the Russian Kuryakin as two spies who work together for an international espionage organization at the height of the Cold War.