In 1974 Sukhanov earned an undergraduate degree (with honors) from the Mechanics and Mathematics Department of Moscow State University.
He taught mathematics at Gagarin Air Force Academy; since 1981 he has worked at the computational methods laboratory at MSU.
[2] In 1969 Sukhanov began writing music to his own lyrics, as well as to the poetry of Samuil Marshak, Iosif Utkin, Percy Shelley, Alexander Vertinsky, Alexander Pushkin, Nikolai Rubtsov, and others.
He gained wide success as a performer of his songs at concerts and festivals.
Sukhanov composed scores for several plays, released a Melodia record as well several CD albums.