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Aleksander Titovets was born and raised in a cabin in a Siberian forest in Russia. When he was ten, his parents moved to St. Petersburg, where he later earned both bachelors and masters degrees from the Leningrad (St. Petersburg) State University College of Fine Art. His classical art skills reflect the Russian School of Oil Painting, a style that combines a powerful realistic involvement with the soft, lyrical looseness of impressionism. Titovets credits his early success to the teaching of his professor, Leonid Krivitsky, whom he later worked with when he joined the faculty at the College of Fine Arts. Titovets was also honored in Russia with membership in the prestigious Union of Artists of the USSR.

Titovets immigrated to the United States with his wife, Lyuba, from Russia in 1992. Leaving behind family, financial security and professional respect, the couple arrived with five paintings and less than $100 in their pocket. They had no long range plans, only a desire to paint professionally. They began by using their apartment balcony, one at a time, as their studio. Within a year, Titovets had earned enough prize money from craft fairs and juried shows to replenish supplies and to purchase new materials.