Sadovnichiy was born in the village Krasnopavlovka in Kharkiv Oblast, now in Ukraine. He graduated from the Department of Mechanics and Mathematics of Moscow State University and defended his doctoral thesis in 1974. In 1975 he became Professor, since 1982 until the present day he is the head of the Mathematical Analysis chair of the department. He held different offices in the administration of the University until he was elected the rector in 1992. In 1996, 2001 and 2005 Sadovnichiy was reelected without any other candidates. On numerous occasions Viktor Sadovnichiy was accused of being one of the organizers of the infamous antisemitic admission policies of the Department of Mechanics and Mathematics during the 1970s and the 1980s Sadovnichiy has been a member of the Russian Academy of Sciences since 1994, Doctor Emeritus of many universities throughout the world, as well as the author of some 150 works. In 1989 he was awarded with the USSR State Prize. He is also currently a Vice-President of the Russian Academy of Sciences. In 2008, Sadovnichiy received an honorary doctorate from the University of Belgrade.
Successful forecast of the second (2011) wave of the world financial economic crisis
In his article “On the Possibilities to Forecast the Current Crisis and its Second Wave” in the Russian academic journal “Ekonomicheskaya politika” he published «a forecast of the second wave of the crisis, which suggests that it may start in July — August, 2011».
*1st class for his outstanding personal contribution to strengthening Russian-Ukrainian cooperation in education and science, and many years of fruitful scientific and social activity
*2nd class for personal contribution into development of Ukrainian-Russian cooperation, active participation in providing for the Year of Ukraine in the Russian Federation
*3rd class a significant personal contribution to the development of economic and scientific-technical cooperation between Ukraine and the Russian Federation
Order of the Rising Sun, 2nd class - for his contribution to scientific and technical cooperation and deepening understanding between the two countries
Medal of Honour for long and fruitful scientific and teaching activities, considerable personal contribution to the preparation of highly qualified specialists for the Republic of South Ossetia
Order "For merits", 1st class for his personal contribution to strengthening and developing friendship and cooperation between Russia and Transnistrian Moldovan Republic, outstanding achievements in the establishment and development of science and education to Transnistrian Moldovan Republic and connection with the 70th anniversary of the birth
Order of Merit for his personal contribution to the establishment and development of science and education in the Transnistrian Moldovan Republic and in connection with the 65th anniversary of the birth
Accusations of participation in the non-admission of Jews to the Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics of the Moscow State University
As Vice-Rector and First Vice-Rector of Moscow State University, he directed the Admission Committee of the Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics and pursued a policy of preventing Jews from going to the Mechanics and Mathematics Faculty. As a pro-rector personally signed refusals in appeals. Similarly, the process of avoiding Jews on the fur-mat of the Moscow State University in the days of V.A. Sadovnichy professor is described in the book B.A Kanevsky, V.A Senderov "INTELLECTUAL GENOCIDE Examinations for Jews: Moscow State University, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Moscow Engineering Physics Institute", Moscow, 1980.
