Mikhail Pavlotsky was born on February 5, 1922 in Tiraspol, in the family of a serviceman, and studied at school No. 6 (today, The Humanitarian and Mathematics Gymnasium). When the Great Patriotic War began, Pavlotsky was a cadet of the Leningrad Military Infantry College, therefore he came to the front after he finished studying in 1942.
He showed exceptional capability of the weapon in autumn of 1943, commanding a battalion while crossing the Desna River near the village of Obolon. In the same period, Pavlotsky was one of the first to cross the Dnieper River, and managed to capture a bridgehead, retain it and ensure the crossing for the whole regiment.
By decree of the Presidium of the USSR Supreme Soviet of October 16, 1943, Captain Mikhail Arkadyevich Pavlotsky was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the awarding of Lenin Order and Gold Star medal for courage and heroism shown when crossing the Dnieper and retaining the bridgehead. He also was awarded the Order of Red Banner, the Order of Patriotic War of the 1st and 2nd degree, two orders of Red Star.
In 1946, Major Mikhail Pavlotsky was assigned to the reserve from the Red Army, and in the same year he joined the service in the internal troops of the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs. In 1958, Mikhail Arkadyevich graduated from the Academy of Police of the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs. Six years later he joined the reserves in the position of lieutenant colonel.
The last years of his life, Mikhail Pavlotsky spent in Kiev. He died on June 3, 1999 and was buried at the Lukyanovsky military cemetery.
In Tiraspol, his name is immortalized on commemorative plate installed on the building of The Humanitarian and Mathematics Gymnasium, which he graduated from.