It’s Ash Wednesday and Dostoevsky day 1! If you’ve never read a Russian novel before, these names are bewildering. Russian names have three parts: first name, patronymic (after the father), and the last name. 

Alexei Fyodorovich Karamazov (nickname, Alyosha) is the son of Fyodor, both belonging to the “clan” Karamazov. 

Alyosha is named after Dostoevsky’s real life son!