Kammala wannan jumla: Ivan Dmitrievich Pavlov an haife shi a ranar 8 ga Satumba, 1919 a Makovskiye Vyselki, Ryazan Oblast, zuwa dangin manoma. Bayan kammala karatunsa a kwalejin fasaha, ya yi aiki a matsayin mai fasaha a masana'antar karafa. Pavlov ya yi aiki a cikin soja a lokacin yakin duniya na biyu, yana aiki na tsawon shekaru shida, yana farawa a cikin
Soviet-Finnish War; ya kuma shiga cikin Yaƙin Stalingrad. An ba shi lambar yabo da taken "Hero na Tarayyar Soviet" saboda rawar da ya taka wajen kare Stalingrad.