Doktor nauk
Boltyansky was born in Moscow. He served in the Soviet army during World War II, when he was a signaller on the 2nd Belorussian Front. He graduated from Moscow University in 1948, where his advisor was Lev Pontryagin. He defended his "Doktor nauk in physics and mathematics" (higher doctorate) degree in 1955, became a professor in 1959.