Preobrazhensky Regiment
Alexander Kutepov was educated at the Arkhangelsk gymnasium (graduated from 7th grade). In 1902 he entered the ranks of the rank junker at the Junker Infantry School in St. Petersburg, which he graduated in the 1st category. A year later, the younger clerk-junker Kutepov has been noticed at the parade by the Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich who appointed him right away in the sergeant-major, bypassing the rank of senior caravan-junker. As a young infantry officer, he fought in the Russo-Japanese War, where he was severely wounded in action and decorated for valor. On 9 August 1904 he was promoted to lieutenant of the 85th Vyborg Infantry Regiment, which acted in the army. In 1906, he was transferred to the Preobrazhensky Regiment, an elite guards regiment. During World War I, he received several decorations for bravery and was again severely wounded in action. During the course of the war, he rose from company, to battalion to commander of the Preobrazhensky Regiment. As such, he became the last commander of this historic regiment.