Московский государственный технический университет имени Н. Э. Баумана
Kunikov was born in Rostov on Don in a Jewish family. His father was an engineer and moved to Moscow in 1925. Kunikov worked in the Soyuz factory as a machinist. In 1932, he began studies at the Bauman Moscow State Technical University, and held the position of a technical manager in a machine building factory by 1938.