Aleksey Gorchakov was a son of Prince Ivan Gorchakov and a sister of Alexander Suvorov. In 1786 he entered the army and served with distinction under his uncle Suvorov in the Turkish Wars. Gorchakov distinguished himself in campaigns of 1789 (at Akerman and Bender) and of 1790. In 1790 he was promoted to colonel of Azov regiment. In 1792 he fought in the Poland (Polish-Russian War of 1792).