He graduated from the Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics of Lomonosov Moscow State University in 1963, where he continues to work until now. He was elected as a rector of the Moscow State University on March 23, 1992 by the Council of Academic Councils of Moscow University on an alternative basis.
Then he was re-elected for a new term as a rector on September 17, 1996. Doctor of Physics and Mathematics (1974), Professor (1975), Head of the Department of Mathematical Analysis of the Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics (1982).
Corresponding Member of the RAS (1994), member of the RAS Presidium (1996), full member of the RAS (1997), full member of several scientific and public professional academies, honorary doctor of many foreign and domestic universities.
In 1994 V. Sadovnichiy was elected as the President of the Union of Rectors of Russia, bringing together nearly 700 universities and higher educational institutions of the country. President of the Eurasian Association of Universities, member of the Standing Committee of the Conference of Rectors of European Universities (CRE), Member of the International Academy of Creativity (Moscow), member of a number of other international scientific and educational institutions, honorary doctor of several foreign universities. V.A. Sadovnichiy is a renowned expert in the field of informatics and applied mathematics. Mathematical works relate to the field of the theory of differential operators, to the mathematical substantiation of several approaches in the relativistic theory of gravitation. He has obtained important theoretical and applied results related to the issues of dynamic simulation of controlled flights, in particular, of spacecrafts and aircrafts. This work formed the basis for creation of the first simulator of zero-gravity in the Earth conditions in the world.