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V.I. Lenin, born as Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov, was born on April 10, 1870 in the Volga town of Simbirsk. He was the third child of Ilya Nikolaievich Ulyanov and Maria Alexandrovna Blank Ulyanov. His father, Ilya, was employed as an educator and director to the school system of the province of Simbirsk. His mother was a refined woman of Volga German ancestry and the daughter of a prominent physician. Vladimir had two brother Alexander and Dmitri as well as three sisters, Anna, Olga, and Maria. The family environment consisted of "an atmosphere of idealism and cosmopolitan culture." The simple, carefree family life did not last long however. In 1886, Ilya Nikolaievich Ulyanov died suddenly while Vladimir was only sixteen years old. The very next year Alexander, the oldest child, became involved in a plot to assassinate the Tsar Alexander III. He was subsequently found out and arrested. As punishment, he was sent to the gallows with four other conspirators. His sister Anna, who was present at the time of his arrest, was banished to a small town named Kokuchkino. These events began Vladimir's antigovernment activities at the University of Kazan. These activities eventually led to him being expelled and like his sister