He was born on 2 August 1958 in Leningrad. In 1981 Alexander graduated from the Camera Department at the All-Union Institute for Cinematography (VGIK - Studio of T. Lobova).

He worked for various film and TV studios in Leningrad, Moscow and abroad, including some necro-realistic works.

Photography Director in the following films of Sokurov:

Documentaries:
1985-86 – "Elegia" (Elegy) (with L. Rozhin and A. Krasnova)
1985-87 – "Terpeniye Trud" (Patience Labor)
1982-87 – "I nichego bolshe" (And Nothing More) (with L. Rozhin and A. Krasnova)
1984-87 – "Zhertva vechernyaya" (Evening Sacrifice)
1986-87 – "Moskovskaya Elegia" (Moscow Elegy) (with A. Naidenov)
1978-88 – "Maria" (Maria)
1989 – "Peterburgskaya Elegia" (Petersburg Elegy)
1989 – "Sovetskaya Elegia" (Soviet Elegy)
1990 – "K sobytiyam v Zakavkazye" (To the Events in the Transcaucasian Region. Leningrad Chronicle Newsreel No. 5. Special Issue) (with M. Shnurnikov)
1990 – "Prostaya Elegia" (Simple Elegy)
1991 – "Primer Intonatsii" (An Example of Intonation)
1992 – "Elegia iz Rossii. Etudy dlya Sna" (An Elegy from Russia)
1995 – "Duhovnye Golosa" (Spiritual Voices. From the War Diaries. Narrative in Five Parts) (with A. Fedorov)

Feature films:
1990 – "Krug Vtoroi" (Second Circle)
1992 – "Kamen" (Stone)
1993 – "Tikhie Stranitsy" (Whispering Pages)

Prizes and Awards:

2000. Prize for the Best Camera in film "Svad'ba".