dˈʊɹɹɪŋ ðə sˈɛkənd wˈɜːld wˈɔːɹ hiː wʌz ɪvˈækjuːˌeɪɾᵻd tʊ ˈɔːɹənbˌɜːɡ, wˌɛɹ hiː ˈɛntɚd æt ðɪ ˈɔːɹənbˌɜːɡ ˌæntɪˈɛɹkɹæft mˈɪlətˌɛɹi skˈuːl zˈɛnɪtnˌoʊ ˈʌtʃɪlˌɪʃtʃ, ænd plˈeɪd ðə vaɪəlˈɪn ɪnðɪ ˈɔːɹkᵻstɹə ʌvðɪ ˈævɹoːɹə sˈɪnəmə.
During the Second World War he was evacuated to Orenburg, where he entered at the Orenburg Antiaircraft Military School (Zenitnoe Uchilishche), and played the violin in the orchestra of the Avrora Cinema.