Biography

Was born in St.Petersburg (former Leningrad), Russian Federation, in 1955. Nationality - Russian, married with 2 children. Graduated from St.-Petersburg State University (Biology Department) in 1977 with a degree in biology. Since then worked in higher plant taxonomy and plant geography of Eurasia at the Komarov Botanical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (St.-Petersburg) where earned his Candidate of Sciences (PhD) in 1983 and Doctor of Science (Dr.Sci) degree in 1991, Professor title in 1999. Participated in many botanical expeditions on the territory of the former Soviet Union and in Old World tropics according to numerous international investigation programs. As Principal Investigator and participant successively completed a number of grant projects supported from Russian Found of Fundamental Investigations, UNESCO, U.S.A. National Geographic Society, U.S.A. National Science Foundation, American Orchid Society, Chicago Zoological Society, WWF, Fauna and Flora Internation