Ilya Sobolev was born in the city of Krasnoyarsk, RSFSR, USSR. From first to last grade he studied at Lyceum No. 102, where he first began taking part in performances of the student KVN team. The stage and the comedy genre turned out to be exactly the passion that shaped Ilya's entire subsequent life and career. After graduating from the lyceum, Ilya entered the Institute of Non-Ferrous Metals and Materials Science, where he successfully graduated with a degree in thermal physics engineering. As a student, Ilya joined the KVN team "Levy Bereg," which in 2003 became champion of the Premier League, and then made it to the KVN Major League (2004) and lasted until the quarterfinals.

Also in 2004, the team received an award at the festival "Golosyashchiy KiViN 2004." In 2005, "Levy Bereg" became a semifinalist of the Premier League, losing to the teams "MaksimuM" (Tomsk) and "Druzya" (Perm). In parallel, in 2000 Ilya enrolled at the Saint Petersburg Theatre Academy (SPbGATI) in the faculty of acting art and directing, from which he graduated in 2005.