A.S. Kostanda was born into a noble family of Greek origin. He began his military service in 1836. A gilded sabre inscribed "for courage" and the order of St Anne, Second Class, marked the services of Colonel Kostanda as a battery commander in the Crimean war of 1853-1856.
Until his transfer to Moscow, Kostanda served as head of the artillery of the St Petersburg military district and assistant to the commander-in-chief of the guards troops and the St Petersburg military district.
Kostanda discharged the duties of military governor-general of Moscow from the day of the appointment of Grand Prince Sergei Alexandrovich to this post until the day of the latter's arrival in Moscow.
Although he administered the city for only a little more than two months, Kostanda issued several mandatory resolutions revising penalties: night watchmen and janitors - for infringing the rules of street duty; cab drivers and coachmen - for dangerous driving along streets; owners of commercial and industrial premises - for delays in providing workers and office staff with paybooks.
However, his main duty was to prepare for the arrival in Moscow of Sergei Alexandrovich. The arrival of the Grand Prince and his wife was expected on 5 May at one o'clock in the afternoon. The special instructions for this important event provided for the couple to be welcomed at Klin, at the Moscow railway station and at the Cathedral of the Dormition in the Kremlin.
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