He studied at School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture (1883–1886). I. M. Pryanishnikov and V.E. Makovsky were among his teachers there. He mostly lived in Moscow. Sergey Malyutin was a member of the Itinerants (from 1913), and The Union of Russian Artists.

He was one of the founders of the Russian Art Nouveau. Besides, he is considered to be the author of the first Russian nested doll (Matryoshka) painting.
 

Very critical of the “left-wing” avant-garde, Sergey Malyutin adjoined young traditionalist artists after the October Revolution and became one of the organizers of the Revolutionary Russia Artists Association (1922). 
 

In the late years of his life Sergey Malyutin showed outstanding painting mastery, however, there was no call for his remarkable designer’s talent. For many years (1903–1923) he worked as a teacher in his alma mater and in Vkhutemas (the Higher Art and Technical Studios).
 

Sergey Malyutin died in Moscow on December 6, 1937.