▁also ▁able ▁to ▁read ▁Spanish , ▁French ▁and ▁S lav onic ▁languages . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁ ▁Fed on kin ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁O re kh ovo - Z ue vo , ▁Moscow ▁Region , ▁Russia . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 9 , ▁Fed on kin ▁presented ▁a ▁th esis ▁titled ▁" Bi ost rat ig raph y ▁and ▁pale ont ology ▁of ▁the ▁Late ▁P rec amb rian ▁depos its ▁of ▁Kh ara ul akh ▁Mountains , ▁Northern ▁Y ak ut ia ▁( S ak ha )" ▁to ▁ear n ▁his ▁M Sc ▁in ▁Ge ology ▁from ▁Moscow ▁State ▁University . ▁He ▁went ▁on ▁to ▁obtain ▁a ▁Ph D ▁in ▁Str at ig raph y \ P ale ont ology ▁( 1 9 7 8 ) ▁and ▁a ▁Doctor ate ▁of ▁Science ▁in ▁Pale obi ology ▁( 1 9 8 5 ) ▁from ▁the ▁Ge ological ▁Institute , ▁USS R ▁Academy ▁of ▁Sciences , ▁Moscow ▁for ▁his ▁dis sert ations ▁on ▁" P rec amb rian ▁fa una ▁and ▁trace ▁foss ils ▁from ▁the ▁Russian ▁Platform ▁north " ▁and ▁" Non - ske let al ▁fa una ▁of ▁the ▁V end ian ▁and ▁its ▁place ▁in ▁the ▁evolution ▁of ▁met az o ans ", ▁respectively . ▁ ▁Career ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 1 , ▁Dr . ▁Fed on kin ▁was ▁a ▁Junior ▁Scient ific ▁Research er ▁at ▁the ▁Ge ological ▁Institute , ▁USS R ▁Academy ▁of ▁Sciences , ▁Moscow . ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 8 , ▁he