Nikolai Fyodorovich Fyodorov was the illegitimate son of Prince Pavel Ivanovich Gagarin. His father initially served in the cities of Central Russia for 13 years and then became the librarian of the Rumyantsev Museum.

Fyodorov graduated from the Tambov Gymnasium in 1849 and continued his studies at the Richelieu Lyceum in Odessa until 1852. However, he left the lyceum after a conflict with a teacher during the final exams. From 1854 to 1868, Fyodorov taught history and geography in district schools in Central Russia. Since 1868, he worked in Moscow: first at the Chertkov Library, and from 1874 for 25 years as the librarian of the Rumyantsev Museum, and then in the reading room of the Moscow Archive of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Fyodorov's main philosophical idea arose as an epiphany after the death of his uncle and patron, Prince Konstantin Ivanovich Gagarin, in the autumn of 1851. He believed that it was necessary to resurrect all people who had ever lived on Earth. This thought arose not merely as a protest against death but as an awareness of a natural law and God's design. Life, created by God, should last forever, and death is unnatural. Knowledge and science must conquer death and help resurrect all who have passed away. This should become a common cause uniting all people. Fyodorov conceived a 'project' of resurrection.

Fyodorov did not leave a cohesive work outlining his ideas. Everything known is gathered from his letters to friends V.A. Kozhevnikov and N.P. Peterson, who compiled his thoughts into the work 'Philosophy of the Common Cause.' The first volume was published in 1906 in Verny, the second in 1913 in Moscow, while the third remained in manuscript.

Fyodorov was dissatisfied with his writing style, believing he could not clearly convey his ideas to everyone. However, his style, though archaic, commanded respect and was unique. He suggested to friends to express his ideas more accessibly.

Fyodorov lived ascetically, subsisting on bread and tea, sleeping on a chest, wearing the same coat, and giving his salary to the needy. Despite this, he loved life and dedicated himself to the struggle against death. His age was difficult to determine, and he gave the impression of an elder. Leo Tolstoy, upon meeting him, thought him older than himself, even though they were contemporaries. Fyodorov's appearance reflected his philosophy, a desire to resurrect all that was old. He was a man of kindness and moral purity, with a memorable face. His erudition amazed everyone, and he knew almost all the books in the Rumyantsev Museum.

A year before his death, Fyodorov burned part of his manuscripts, and Peterson, fearing for his legacy, secretly took the remainder to Ashgabat. S.P. Bartenyev wrote about the impression of Fyodorov's death: 'It was hard to believe that this man, who fought against death, would ever die. When it happened, the world seemed small and distant to me. Such a person is no more!'