Alex Timeline and Summary

Alex is shocked to discover that his family has been arrested by the Soviet secret police in the middle of the night.
He gets advice from his teacher Katriana, who tells him to stay with his Uncle Dmitri in Moscow. She also tells him about her brother, Basil, who helps smuggle people out of the country from his home in St. Petersburg.
After his train is commandeered by a group of soldiers, Alex is forced to make the rest of the trek to Moscow on foot.
When he arrives, he discovers that his uncle has been arrested, too.
Alex meets a group of thieves and helps them evade the authorities, earning him an invitation to join their crew by their leader, Peter.
Alex becomes a member of their posse and becomes quite an exceptional little thief.
When winter arrives, the group decides to head south for better weather.
Alex and his friends are sent to a children's home after being betrayed by Boris and Grigory, two members of their group.
After Miska is killed in the children's home, Alex and his friends escape.
Alex tells Peter about Basil and the group decides to head to St. Petersburg.
Basil tells Alex to meet a man named Nicholai, who will help them sail to Finland.
The boys manage to make it to Finland, though Peter decides to head back to the Soviet Union to help other boys escape the country.
Alex is surprised—in the best possible way—to discover that Katriana is waiting for him on the shores of Finland.