▁Medal . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁Nov ik ov ▁was ▁born ▁on ▁ 2 0 ▁March ▁ 1 9 3 8 ▁in ▁G ork y , ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁( now ▁N iz h ny ▁Nov gor od , ▁Russia ). ▁ ▁He ▁grew ▁up ▁in ▁a ▁family ▁of ▁tal ented ▁mathemat icians . ▁His ▁father ▁was ▁Py otr ▁Serge ye v ich ▁Nov ik ov , ▁who ▁gave ▁the ▁negative ▁solution ▁of ▁the ▁word ▁problem ▁for ▁groups . ▁His ▁mother ▁Ly ud m ila ▁V se vol od ov na ▁K eld y sh ▁and ▁mat ernal ▁uncle ▁M st is lav ▁V se vol od ov ich ▁K eld y sh ▁were ▁also ▁important ▁mathemat icians . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 5 ▁Nov ik ov ▁entered ▁Moscow ▁State ▁University ▁( grad u ating ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 0 ). ▁Four ▁years ▁later ▁he ▁received ▁the ▁Moscow ▁Mathemat ical ▁Society ▁Award ▁for ▁young ▁mathemat icians . ▁In ▁the ▁same ▁year ▁he ▁def ended ▁a ▁dis sert ation ▁for ▁the ▁C andid ate ▁of ▁Science ▁in ▁Physics ▁and ▁Mathemat ics ▁degree ▁at ▁the ▁Moscow ▁State ▁University ▁( it ▁is ▁equivalent ▁to ▁the ▁Ph D ). ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 5 ▁he ▁def ended ▁a ▁dis sert ation ▁for ▁the ▁Doctor ▁of ▁Science ▁in ▁Physics ▁and ▁Mathemat ics ▁degree ▁there . ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 6 ▁he ▁became ▁a ▁Cor respond ing ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁USS R ▁Academy ▁of ▁Sciences . ▁ ▁Research ▁in ▁topology ▁ ▁Nov ik ov ' s