Mikhailov, a discontented workman, claimed in his trial that he was motivated by a desire to improve the condition of the working classes.

At this time, Mikhailov became involved in revolutionary politics and joined the Workers' Section of Narodnaya Volya.

[1][2] Two weeks prior to the incident, Timofey Mikhailov volunteered to join the bomb-thrower unit to assassinate Tsar Alexander II, and was recruited by Andrei Zhelyabov.

The group had observed that on Sundays, after the inspection of marine corps at Michael Manege, the Tsar would drive back to the Winter Palace.

The group had purchased a shop in the Sadovaya ostensibly for the sale of cheese, and used that as a cover to place dynamites under the street.

[1] Two days after the assassination, Mikhailov arrived at the group's Telezhnaya quarters following the arrest of Hesya Helfman.

[1] During his trial, Mikhailov declared that his conduct was caused by a desire to improve the condition of the working classes.

Mikhailov admitted membership in what he called The Russian Social-Revolutionary Party, but he did not plead guilty to participating in the assassination of the Emperor.

[4] Mikhailov was transported to the Semenovsky Regiment seated in a cart with Sophia Perovskaya and Nikolai Kibalchich.

First time, when the stool was pulled from under his feet, the rope broke and he crashed to the floor of the scaffold, bound and blindfolded.