Kotsoyev was born to a poor family in the Ossetian countryside (the village of Gizel, close to Vladikavkaz) in Terek Oblast. At the age of nine he was enrolled in the local school. There he found a large collection of books, which enriched his education. After school he studied at the Ardon Orthodox Seminary, but a sudden illness made him leave the seminary. He returned to Gizel and began writing short essays for newspapers of the North Caucasus. He also worked as a teacher at the local school.