Ilya: Sakhalin’s Colorful Teenager

Sporting long, multi-colored hair, several facial piercings, penciled eyebrows and sneakers, Ilya, 16, was not someone I expected to meet on the cold, oil and gas region of Sakhalin Island. The teenager, who was taking his three-year old sister to the playground, said he attracted a lot of unwanted attention. ”It is difficult, but I am used to it. My mother is supportive [of my style], but not my father.” Ilya said he has some Spanish roots and that his family was moving to Spain in a few weeks. While he said he was happy to leave Sakhalin ”as there is nothing for me to do here,” he doesn’t want to live in Spain either. ”I would like to live in Moscow or St. Petersburg,” said Ilya, who wants to pursue a career in fashion.