Alexey Leonidovich Pajitnov was born in Moscow, then part of the Soviet Union. Little information is publicly available about his early childhood.

Pajitnov attended regular Soviet schools during this period. Details regarding his specific schools are limited, but his education would have adhered to the standardized Soviet curriculum, emphasizing science and mathematics.

Pajitnov studied at the Moscow Aviation Institute, focusing on applied mathematics. This experience exposed him to computers and programming, laying the foundation for his future career.