In 1902-1908 Savinov studied at the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts in Saint Petersburg at Dmitry Kardovsky and Yan Tsionglinsky.

After returning from Italy Savinov begins his teaching career, which will continue until the end of life.

Among the pupils of Alexander Savinov in different years were Alexei Pakhomov, Mikhail Natarevich, Dmitry Mochalsky, Eugene Charushin, Ludmila Ronchevskaya and other well-known Russian artists.

After the beginning of the Great Patriotic War he participated in the preparations for the evacuation of the Hermitage collection, personally ready to be sent to the rear of paintings by Rembrandt.

Alexander Savinov died on 25 February 1942 in the besieged Leningrad at the sixty-first year of life.