Kammala jumla mai zuwa: An haifi Alexei a cikin dangin Orlov mai daraja a Lyubini a Tver Oblast a ranar, ɗan Grigory Ivanovich Orlov, gwamnan Novgorod, kuma ɗan'uwan Grigory Grigoryevich Orlov. Ya shiga cikin Preobrazhensky Regiment kuma a shekara ta 1762 ya kai matsayin sajan. Ya bambanta kansa a cikin Yakin Shekaru Bakwai kuma ya ji rauni a
Yaƙin Zorndorf. An bayyana shi a matsayin babban mutum, mai tsayin sama da mita biyu, kuma sanannen ɗan damben, tare da wata alama a fuskarsa. Raunin ya ba shi laƙabin'scarface'.