It was formed originally on 17 January 1811 in St Petersburg as a battalion and was given various names before being named for Alexander Nevsky on 25 March 1891, as the Alexander Nevsky Infantry Reserve Battalion. On 3 January 1899 it was expanded to the status of a regiment, becoming known as the Alexander Nevsky Reserve Infantry Regiment, and on 20 February 1910 it was completely reformed, being transferred from the reserve to active duty. The unit was combined with the 246th Reserve Infantry Gryazovetsky Battalion, stationed in Vologda, and the Arkhangelsk Reserve Battalion, becoming designated as the 198th Alexander Nevsky Infantry Regiment. While stationed in the city of Vologda from 1910 on, the unit took part in the parade there during the celebrations of the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty and the 100th anniversary of the victory during the Patriotic War of 1812.