Alexander Konstantinovich Kolenkovsky was born in 1880 in Nikolaev of the Kherson province, in the family of an officer.
In 1912 he graduated from the Nikolaev Military Academy in the 1st category, since 1913 he served the censored company command in the 14th rifle regiment.
During the First World War, Kolenkovsky was senior adjutant of the headquarters of the 64th Infantry Division (Russian Empire).
Head of the 5th Vitebsk Rifle Division, from September 28, 1918, to April 3, 1919 – chief of staff of the Eastern Front (RSFSR), from April 29, 1919 – military leader of the Volga Military District, from August 1920 – military attache in Lithuania, from March 3, 1921, years – at the disposal of the commander-in-chief, from March 9, 1921, to 1924 – head of the Operations Department of the headquarters of the Red Army.
During the Great Patriotic War, in the same position, he studied the experience of fighting near Rostov, in 1942 he wrote an article “The Rostov Operation of the Red Army”, in which he made important conclusions on the organization of offensive military operations.