Pyotr Tikhonovsky was born in the village of Sidorovka, Klimovichi Vicinity, Mogilyov Region, Belarus on 8 June 1958.
    Having graduated with honours from the Leningrad Combined Arms Command School in 1980, he assumed command over a platoon and a company, was executive officer, as well as deputy chief of staff of a motorised infantry regiment.
    In 1991, Pyotr Tikhonovsky earned an honoured degree at the Frunze Military Academy and occupied the posts of senior officer and leader of the operations section in a tank army's staff; senior officer and leader of a planning team, operations directorate, General Staff, Belarusian Armed Forces.
    Upon completion with honours of the Russian General Staff Academy in 1999, Pyotr Tikhonovsky was delegated the powers of deputy chief of the operations directorate, General Staff, Belarusian Armed Forces. Then he was promoted to deputy chief of the General Staff, chief of the main operations directorate and first deputy chief of the General Staff.
    On 4 December 2009, Pyotr Tikhonovsky was appointed Chief of the General Staff, First Deputy Minister of Defence, following a relevant President's decree.