Little is known about Timofey Ankudinov's childhood: he was born in 1617 in Vologda to a poor merchant family. From a young age, he helped his father in the shop and studied at a church school. Ankudinov showed an interest in sciences and quickly earned the trust of the local archbishop, who later made him his assistant. Unexpectedly for many, the son of a poor merchant managed to accumulate significant capital and was not shy about spending money. His business success was explained by the fact that he used his position and even forged documents to make profitable deals with other merchants. When the fraud was uncovered, he had to urgently leave Vologda.

Ankudinov moved to Moscow and became the keeper of the treasury of the Drinking Order, where he stole money and engaged in fraud. Eventually, he was put on the wanted list. Fearing for his life, he fled to Poland, where he posed as the son of Tsar Vasily Shuisky. The Polish king welcomed him warmly, granting him a salary and providing luxurious housing. Ankudinov declared himself a tsar in exile and a claimant to the throne.

The Poles informed the Russian envoys about this, who immediately recognized the "new sovereign" as Timoshka Ankudinov, a known thief and fraudster. However, the Polish king, knowing the truth, paid no attention to this, wanting to annoy Moscow. Ankudinov lived comfortably until the ruler changed. The new king, not wanting to escalate relations with Russia, agreed to hand him over.

But Timofey again showed cunning and escaped to Sweden, where he once more presented himself as the son of Vasily Shuisky. At that time, the queen of Sweden was Christina, known for her extravagant manners. She and Ankudinov became the perfect couple. However, after a couple of years, Christina learned the truth and ordered him to be handed over to the Russians. Back in his homeland, Ankudinov was tried and executed in Red Square.