Dmitry Dmitrievich Leonov was born on August 20, 1902 Lebedyan City, Tambovskaya oblast, Russian Federation. He came from the family of a local doctor. He had a brother, Nikolay Dmitrievich Leonov, and a sister, Vera Dmitrievna Leonova. He was a nephew of K.N. Igumnov.
In 1921-1922 Dmitry Dmitrievich Leonov studied at Voronezh State University, the Natural Department of the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics and in 1922-1924 studied in the Social and Historical Department of the Pedagogical Faculty at the same University. In 1923 he graduated from the Voronezh Branch of Moscow Archaeological Institute.
In 1921-1962 Dmitry Leonov was a researcher in the Provincial Museum ( now Voronezh Regional Lore Museum). In 1923 he opened a camp "Kostenki-3". In 1921-1925 he led archaeological explorations of the rivers Voronezh, Don and Oskol jointly with S.N. Zamyatnin. In 1924 he participated in the excavations of one of the burial grounds on the territory of the monument "Frequent mounds" (together with M.E. Foss). In 1925 he participated in the excavations of burial mounds near the city of Rossosh ( together with S.N. Zamyatnin). In 1924 he participated in the excavations of Lysogorsky burial ground.
