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Born in Kiev, 9 May 1911.
His father is Yuri Vitalyevich Mikhailov. His mother is Alla Kirillovna Ganova. His young sister is Anna Yurievna Mikhailova (1914-1938). His youngest brother is Konstantin Yurievich Mikhailov (19 November 1921 - 20 November 1921).
Mikhailov family used to be under care of Orthodox Priest named Vitaly Bodenko. This Priest Bodenko used to adopt Alexei's father as kid. Later after grew up, the father become somewhat monk or devoted person while still married.
Yuri expecting him to be the priest too, supported by Alla. And so, he was strictly trained Alexei at church. But of course kids being kids, Alexei is kinda a dreamer and a bit slow in memorising verses.
Later, Alexei's young sister born around 1914. Her existence is considered as nuisance by the parents as they focusing on grooming Alexei. So the sister somewhat neglected and just fulfilled the basic needs but no love. Alexei feel pity and he is also had another labor as "child parent".
This causing Alexei become distracted with everything. The father and mother slowly become fanatic and psychotic at the same time. So they thought they were cursed to have "devil children" and need to always punish Alexei and the sister for any reason with blunt objects.
Priest Bodenko trying to mediate and help Alexei and Anna, but he is also somewhat selfish: saving his face as he has failed to raise Alexei's father.
Year 1921 is come, and Alexei's younger brother is born at November. the parents are deciding to murder Alexei and the sister, so they can 'focus on raising their true children'. The father is patrolling to make sure nobody passed by their house, while the mother did the entire plan. At that time, Alexei managed to shove his sister secretly out of the window and told her to report the Priest Bodenko.
However when Alexei wants to also save Konstantin, his mother lunged a heavy bottle... and accidentally crushed the young baby right when the baby was on Alexei's arms.
The extremely traumatic Alexei to see mushed Konstantin caused the other personality is born... and that personality use his force to murder the mother with the broken bottle that previously killed Konstantin before.
Three hours later, Alexei's father coming home, finding out the entire plan failed and witness his son become murderer. Becoming insane, Alexei's father run aimlessly to forest and never seen anymore.
As this other personality hide in church together with Alexei's sister... Priest Bodenko realised that he has too late to save the family. Moreover knowing the village is become unstable from war and soon there will be some purge, Priest Bodenko gave them the horse and told them to ride to west.
The other personality felt touched, and he decided to naming himself after the priest - Vitaly Bodenko. later Vitaly and Alexei's sister ride aimlessly too... until they reach Poltava, found by Red Army soldiers, and brought to some orphanage.
The Poltava orphanage was a Bolshevik-run. Alexei do telling story that him and Anna are from Kiev, from strict religious family, and they flee because they cannot held the abusive anymore (this is as per Alexei's memory). Anna who back then mostly being silent, also just nod. The orphanage made the doctrine about religious stuff made that abusive pattern, and so they need to cast out that Orthodoxy. and so, Alexei/Vitaly and Anna gladly stripped their religion forever. Especially Aleksei who still have childlike thinking "Finally no more learning verses I don't like", and Vitaly who thinking "Finally the murder secret can be buried forever".
Alexei/Vitaly and Anna's life are pretty much great in orphanage. They do become the model of "Orthodox children cleansed to be atheist Bolshevik", become easy comparation to other misbehaving orphans.
Specifically there is one little girl named Darya, who always beaten up by the caretaker because that little girl never took full attention in the class. Vitaly took pity of her, and he always try to protect till the point of fell in love with her. Meanwhile Alexei is more to think of Darya as fellow orphans and just kind enough as friend too.
Anna? Well, very jealous for years and kept harassing Darya in secret. She was more upset to see Vitaly kept protecting (or in Anna's eyes, it's Alexei who protect).
Until at teenager years, when Alexei is still 16 years old, Anna beg Alexei to seek good school. Alexei agreed, and the orphanage also fully supports. Alexei managed to get scholarship at music school and he took trumpet major. Therefore, they left to Leningrad. This is Anna's strategy to separate him with Darya. This also festering grudge to Vitaly who wakes up and finding out his entire life changed. At first he gave up and just focus on protecting Alexei. After all, he was focusing on the survival first.
Alexei/Vitaly only develop the habit to write the diary when they are moving to Leningrad for that music school scholarship. For Alexei, he is concerned if his clumsiness makes him forget the lesson. While for Vitaly, he is concerned if he can't protect Alexei properly (yeah funny thing they both working in same lane for this one). He didn't do that during orphanage as back then the situation is still messy. Therefore, Alexei/Vitaly would always buy new book before New Year arrived. And so far, this helps Alexei/Vitaly studied better until graduated around 1929.
From 1929 till 1934, he spent his life by doing the moonlight in cafes as a trumpeter.
Although... as they managed to left the orphanage at teen age and migrate to Leningrad, Anna is always suspicious if Alexei will left her. She kept making drama/scene with neighbors or at cafe (when Alexei/Vitaly did moonlighting) just to make sure her brother never forget about her. This making Alexei a bit overwhelmed, hence why he decided to apply at Alexandrov Ensemble when the ensemble opening audition for brass section in 1934. He made a bit false promise to always writing letter to Anna.
At least with this strategy, he can have his own life in Moscow communal provided by the government. And Vitaly totally approves this.