He was the son of a poor noble.

His opportunities for education were extremely limited, and in 1762 he entered the military service as a common soldier, in the famous Preobrazhensky (Transfiguration) infantry regiment of the Guards.
As he had neither friends nor relatives in St.Petersburg, he lived in barracks, where with difficulty he followed his inclinations, and read all the Russian and German books he could obtain, scribbling verses at intervals.

In 1777 he managed to obtain a small estate and the rank of bombardier-lieutenant, and left the service to become an usher in one department of the Senate, where he made many friends and acquaintances in high circles.

Eventually he became governor of Olonetz, then of Tamboff.

In 1779 he began "in a new style," among other compositions therein being an ode "To Felitza," meaning the Empress Katherine II.