From 1912 to 1916 he served aboard a training ship, armored cruiser General-Admiral class Gerzog Edinburgski, next, armoured cruiser, Rossiya, battleship Tsarievitch, and submarines Akula, Bars and S-12.
He graduated from the Sea Cadet Corps in 1889 and first served on the cruiser Gerzog Edinburgski.