Jawlensky was born in Torzhok, a town in the western part of Russia. His father, Georgi von Jawlensky, was a colonel in the Imperial Russian Army. Like his four brothers, Jawlenskywas became an officer in the army. He studied at the military academy in Moscow, but was very interested in art. He studied art privately while he was serving as a soldier. In 1890 he was accepted at the St. Petersburg Academy of Art. He received permission from the army to study art there while still serving as a soldier. He became friends with artists who worked in the studio of Ilya Repin.