After graduating from Kuzedeyevskaya high school in 1938, he worked as a teacher of Russian language and geography at The lysinskaya Junior high school. In 1939, he entered the 1st year of the special faculty of Tomsk state University. In February 1940, he was called up for military service. From the beginning of the war to February 1942, he was in the Soviet Army and participated in the great Patriotic war. Participated in the battles on the North-Western front. After receiving a serious wound and prolonged treatment in hospitals, he was discharged from the Soviet Army in December 1942. From February 1943, he worked as a military instructor in Mundybash and Kuzedeyevsky secondary schools, and then from July 1943 – as a people's investigator of the Prosecutor's office of the Kuzedeyevsky district. In the period from may 1944 to October 1945, he was a cadet at the Kemerovo and Tallinn military infantry school of communications. From October 1945 to January 1947, he worked as a senior watchman at the MVD camp No. 36 in the Altai territory. From 1947 to 1957, he worked in the Prosecutor's office of the Kemerovo region as an assistant Prosecutor, Prosecutor of the Kiselevsky district, and assistant Prosecutor of the Zavodsky district of Kemerovo. In 1953, he graduated from the Novosibirsk law school. From February to December 1957, he worked in the judicial authorities of the Kemerovo region, was the head of the Topkin legal consultation. In December 1957, he was appointed people's judge of the 1st precinct of the Topkinsky district. In December 1960, by the decision of the Topkinsky district Council of workers ' deputies, he was confirmed as the Chairman of the Topkinsky city people's court. In the period from 1964 to 1969, he studied in absentia at Tomsk state University, where he graduated with honors. In June 1969, he was enlisted in the staff of the Kemerovo regional court as a member of the court, worked in the judicial Board for criminal cases in the 1st and cassation instances.On July 2, 1982, he was dismissed from his position as a member of the Kemerovo regional court due to retirement due to age. After the termination of the judge's powers, Mikhail Afanasyevich continued working as a consultant, senior consultant of the Kemerovo regional court from December 19, 1986 to August 12, 1993. Working in the Kemerovo regional court, Mikhail Afanasievich proved to be an exceptionally competent and highly qualified lawyer. Having high business qualities, he skillfully used many years of experience and good knowledge of law. I paid a lot of attention to issues of crime prevention. He did a lot of work to promote legal knowledge among the population, often gave lectures and talks, and published articles in the Kuzbass newspaper. He took an active part in the social life of the collective, was repeatedly elected Secretary of the primary party organization of the regional court, a delegate to district and city party conferences. He passed on his many years of judicial experience and knowledge to young people's judges. It was characterized by adherence to principles and intolerance of the faults.For many years conscientious work, high performance, active participation in public life, Bulgakov was repeatedly awarded with diplomas, commendations, cash awards and valuable gifts of the Minister of justice of the Russian Federation, Kemerovo obkoma trade unions of workers of state institutions and the leadership of the Kemerovo regional court.