sperk, check this Wkipedia article: Candidate of Sciences, it explains everything in detail.
In short:
According to [...] ISCED UNESCO 2011, for purposes of international educational statistics Candidate of Sciences is equivalent to PhD as awarded in many English-speaking countries [...]
Quote Originally Posted by Yulia65 View Post
... даже получил степень кандидата наук (equivalent of a master's degree).
It's not. A master's degree is awarded after graduation from university. Basically it's just a university graduate, who mastered a rigorous course.