Count Alexey Orlov, who received this title in 1762, was born on September 24 (October 5) 1737 in the village of Lyutkino in the Bezhetsk district of Tver province. He was the younger brother of Catherine II's favorite, Grigory Grigoryevich Orlov, and owned an estate in the Don field. In 1769, Orlov became a general-anshef and also held the positions of lieutenant colonel of the Life Guards Preobrazhensky Regiment and lieutenant of the Cavalry Guard Corps. He was awarded the orders of St. Andrew the Apostle, St. Alexander Nevsky, and St. George of the 1st class.

Alexey Orlov-Chesmensky came from the noble family of Orlovs. His father, G. I. Orlov, became the governor of Novgorod shortly before his death in 1746. Alexey received his education at the Land Noble Corps and began his service as a soldier in the Life Guards Preobrazhensky Regiment, rising to the rank of sergeant by early 1762.

Orlov was one of the leaders of the palace coup on June 28, 1762, which brought Catherine II to the Russian throne. He participated in forcing Peter III to abdicate. Although there is a version that Orlov or F. Baryatinsky killed Peter III, there is no reliable confirmation of this; some studies consider Orlov's 'penitential letter' to be a forgery.

After Catherine ascended the throne, Orlov became a major general and received the title of count. In 1796, during the reburial of Peter III, he carried the imperial crown by order of Paul I, which caused him strong emotions. After this, Orlov went abroad but returned to Moscow during Alexander I's reign.

Orlov was interested in science, supported M. Lomonosov and D. I. Fonvizin, and corresponded with J. J. Rousseau. He was one of the founders of the Free Economic Society and its first chairman. In 1768-1769, Orlov developed a plan for a military operation against Turkey and commanded a squadron of the Russian fleet, for which he was awarded the Order of St. George of the 1st class and received the right to be called Orlov-Chesmensky. In 1775, he carried out Catherine II's order to bring Princess Tarakanova to Russia.

Orlov-Chesmensky was the first to introduce the fashion for Gypsy singing in Russia, bringing the first Gypsy chapel from Wallachia in 1774. He died on December 24, 1807 (January 5, 1808) in Moscow. In 1896, the remains of the Orlovs were reburied in the family estate 'Otradnaya'. At the Khrenovsky Stud Farm, owned by Orlov, the famous breed of horses, the Orlov Trotter, was developed, as well as the first riding breed in Russia, the Russian Riding Horse.