Alexander was the seventh of fourteen children, but due to the horrific rate of child loss he became the oldest child by the time he turned eleven (only Alexander and his sister Polina survived).
Aleksandr foi o sétimo de catorce fillos, pero debido á alta taxa de mortalidade infantil aos once anos converteuse no maior dos irmáns (só Aleksandr e a súa irmá Polina sobreviviron).