Lenin was born in Simbirsk on 22 April 1870 and baptised several days later; as a child, he gained the nickname of "Volodya," a dimunitive of Vladimir. He was one of eight children, having two older siblings, Anna (born 1864) and Alexander (born 1868). They were followed by three more children, Olga (born 1871), Dmitry (born 1874), and Maria (born 1878). Two later siblings died in infancy. Ilya was a devout member of the Russian Orthodox Church and baptised his children into it, although Maria—a Lutheran by upbringing—was largely indifferent to Christianity, a view that influenced her children.
