Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia
Encyclopedia
Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia ( Влади́мирович Александрович) ) (22 April 1847 – 17 February 1909) was a son of Emperor Alexander II of Russia
. He was a brother of Tsar Alexander III of Russia
and was the Senior Grand Duke of the House of Romanov during the reign of his nephew, Tsar Nicholas II.
Grand Duke Vladimir followed a military career and occupied important military positions during the reigns of the last three Russian Emperors. Interested in artistic and intellectual pursuits; he was
was appointed President of the Academy of Fine Arts; patron of many artist and sponsor of the Imperial ballet.
During the reign of his father, Tsar Alexander II, he was made Adjutant-General, senator in 1868 and member of the Council of State in 1872. His brother, Alexander III also promoted his career. He was made member of the Council of ministers; Commander of the Imperial Guards Corps and Military Governor of Saint Petersburg. He tried to exert some influence over his nephew Tsar Nicholas II, but had to content himself with holding a rival court with his wife Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna
at his palace in Saint Petersburg
. The events of bloody Sunday
in 1905, while he was military governor of St Peterburg, tarnished his reputation. During the last years of his life, the rift between his family and that of Nicholas II widen. He died after a stroke in 1909. His great granddaughter, Grand Duchess Maria Valdimirovna, is the current claimant to the headship of the Romanov family.
, some twenty miles (32 km) outside Saint Petersburg
. He was the fourth child and third son among the eight children of Alexander II of Russia
and his wife Maria Alexandrovna, born Duchess Marie of Hesse-Darmstadt.
He was eight years old when at the death of his grand father Nicholas I, his father became Russian Tsar. Grand Duke Vladimir was well educated and through his life he was interested in literature and the arts. However, as all male members of the Romanov family he had to follow a military career. As only the third son in a numerous family, he was far from the succession to the Russian throne. Nevertheless, in 1863, the early death of his eldest brother the Tsarevich Nicholas left Vladimir unexpectedly close to the throne as heir presumptive after his second brother Alexander. Unlike Alexander, the new heir, Vladimir was witty and ambitious. Rumors circulated at the time, that Alexander II would have his eldest surviving son removed from the succession placing Vladimir as his heir. Alexander himself would have preferred to step aside from the succession hoping to marry morganatically, but eventually he yielded to family pressure and married a suitable bride. Relations between the two brothers although cordial were never warm.
, where his father was shot by a polish nationalist. In 1871 he visited the Caucasus region, Georgia
, Chechnya
and Dagestan
with his father and his brothers. In 1872 he accompanied his father to Vienna at the reunion of the three emperors: Russia, Germany and Austria.
In his youth Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich led a restless life of partying and drinking. A member of the European jet set of his time, he made frequent trips to Paris. At the French capital, he was nicknamed "The Grand Duke, bon vivant". His love for the good life let him to be portly at a young age, although later he slimmed down. He had a wide range of interest. He loved the arts; was a skillful painter himself and gathered an important book collection. Not as tall as his brothers, he was handsome with an imposing personalty but could not stand public criticism. He was known for his thunderous voice; was a keen hunter, and a well known gourmet. He gathered a collection of menus copied after meals with adding notations with his impressions about the food.
(14 May 1854 – 6 September 1920), daughter of Friedrich Franz II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Augusta of Reuss-Köstritz. She was seventeen years old and was already engage to a distant relative, Prince George Schwarzburg. Grand Duke Vladimir was then twenty four. They were smitten with each other. Maria was a great-granddaughter of Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna of Russia, herself a daughter of Emperor Paul I of Russia
. Therefore, Vladimir was a second cousin of Maria's father Friedrich Franz II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. However, in descent from Frederick William III of Prussia
, the couple were second cousins. In order to marry Vladimir, Maria broke off her previous engagement, but she refused to yield to the necessary conversion to the Orthodox religion. This delayed the couple's engagement for almost two years. Finally, Tsar Alexander II consented the marriage allowing Marie to keep her Lutheran faith and Vladimir would not lose his rights to the Russian throne. The engagement was announced in April 1874.
The wedding took place in Saint Petersburg on 28 August 1874 at the Winter palace. Vladimir's wife adopted the patronymic Pavlovna upon her marriage and was known as Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia. Only decades later, after Vladimir's death, she converted to the Russian Orthodox confession, then, Emperor Nicholas II bestowed her the title "the Orthodox Grand Duchess". Grand Duke Vladimir and his wife were both witty and ambitious. They enjoy entertaining and their residence in St. Petersburg became the heart of the Imperial capital social life. Well suited to each other, they had a long and happy marriage.
, it was the last imperial palace to be constructed in Saint Petersburg. Grand Duke Vladimir appointed architect Aleksandr Rezanov responsible for the project because of his knowledge of ancient Russian architecture. Rezanov was assisted by a team of architects: Vasily Kenel
, Andrei Huhn, Ieronim Kitner and Vladimir Shreter. The foundation stone was laid on July 15, 1867. Construction work lasted five years, from 1867 to 1872. The furniture was designed by architect Victor Shroeter.
The site chosen for the palace was the Embankment near the Winter Palace
in the center of St Petersburg. It had been previously been occupied by the house of Count Vorontsov Dashkov which had been bought by the treasury. The lot was enlarge by purchasing the neighboring house of Madame Karatinga. The total construction and furnishing cost of Vladimir palace was 820.00 rubles, a much modest amount than the one spent building previous palaces for other grand dukes a decade earlier.
The Vladimir palace stands, like the Winter Palace and the Marble Palace
, on the Neva at Dvostsovaya Embankment. The façade, richly ornamented with stucco
rustication
, was patterned after Leon Battista Alberti's palazzi
in Florence
. The main porch is built of Bremen
sandstone and adorned with griffin
s, coats-of-arms, and cast-iron lantern
s. Other details are cast in portland cement
.
The palace and its outbuildings contain some 360 rooms, all decorated in eclectic historic styles: Neo-Renaissance
(reception room, parlor), Gothic Revival (dining room), Russian Revival
(Oak Hall), Rococo
(White Hall), Byzantine style
(study), Louis XIV, various oriental styles, and so on. This interior ornamentation, further augmented by Maximilian Messmacher in 1881-1891, is considered a major monument to the 19th-century passion for historicism
. Grand Duke Vladimir decorated his apartments with his collection of Russian painting by the best artist of his time such as : Ilya Repin, Ivan Aivazovsky
, Feodor Bruni, Vasili Vereshchagin, Ivan Kramskoy, Mikhail Vrubel
, Nicholas Sverchkov and Rudoplh Frenz.
Although Alexander III was not close to Vladimir and there was a rivalry between their wives, he promoted his brother's career. The day after their father's death he appointed Vladimir Military Governor of St Petersburg, a post that was previously held by their uncle Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich. Vladimir served on the state council and chaired the official commission that supervised the building of the Cathedral of St. Saviour, built between 1883 and 1907 on the site of the assassination of his father, Tsar Alexander II of Russia.
Grand Duke Vladimir, was a keen philanthropist. A talented painter himself, he became a famous patron of the arts. He frequented many artists and gathered a valuable collection of paintings and old icons. He later took a great interest in ballet. He financed the tour of Diaghilev Ballets Russes.
Emperor Alexander III, had three sons which pushed Vladimir and his own three sons farther away from the succession to the Russian throne. Nevertheless he was unexpectedly close to become Emperor in 1888 when Alexander III with his wife and all of their children were involved in a train accident at Borki
. Vladimir and his wife were at the time in Paris and did not bother to come back to Russia. This annoyed Alexander III who commented that if he would have died with his children, Vladimir would have ruched to return to Russia to become Emperor. At Alexander III's death in 1894 there were unfounded rumors that the army intended to proclaim Grand Duke Vladimir emperor in place of his nephew Nicholas II. over which Vladimir tried to have an influence, particularly at the beginning of Nicholas II’s reign.
Although the grand duke was conservative in his political views, he did not believe in human virtues. A little bit of a rascal himself, he preferred the company of amusing witty people regardless of their ideology or background. The more liberal member of Russian society were invited to lavish parties at his residence. He look with contempt to people less intelligent that himself and considered that he would have made a better emperor than his less gifted brother Alexander III or his ineffectual nephew Nicholas II, Grand Duke Vladimir traveled extensively. Paris was a favorite destination. He became well known in the French capital for his boisterous personality and tremendous voice. He often intimidated people with his coarseness, rudeness and hot temper. He usually complained about the food making a fuss about everything that he disliked, but ended typing generously. Vladimir Alexandrovich was also a devoted family man. He was close to his children.
, was followed by a series of strikes in other cities, peasant uprisings in the country, and mutinies in the armed forces, which seriously threatened the tsarist regime and became known as the Revolution of 1905. A month after Bloody Sunday, Vladimir's brother Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich was killed by a terrorist bomb in Moscow
.
In October that same year, Vladimir's eldest son and heir Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich of Russia
married his first cousin Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, daughter of Vladimir's sister Maria. This marriage was disapproved by Nicholas II and Kirill was stripped of his imperial titles and sent to exile. Vladimir protested the treatment given to his son and resigned to to all his post in a strife with the Emperor. Although eventually Nicholas II relented and forgave his cousins for marrying without his consent, he did not allow them to return to Russia. The full pardon came only after several deaths in the family, including Vladimir's own, put Kirill third in the line of succession to the Imperial Throne.
Grand Duke Vladimir died suddenly on 4/ 17 February 1909 after suffering a major cerebral hemorrhage.
Vladimir's widow and their four children survived the Russian Revolution of 1917
. In 1924 in exile, Kirill proclaimed himself Emperor. Vladimir's line has thus received the headship of the Imperial House. Vladimir was the paternal grandfather and namesake of the future pretender claimant Grand Duke Vladimir of Russia
, born 1917. Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich's great granddaughter, Grand Duchess Maria Valdimirovna, is the current claimant.
Alexander II of Russia
Alexander II , also known as Alexander the Liberator was the Emperor of the Russian Empire from 3 March 1855 until his assassination in 1881...
. He was a brother of Tsar Alexander III of Russia
Alexander III of Russia
Alexander Alexandrovich Romanov , historically remembered as Alexander III or Alexander the Peacemaker reigned as Emperor of Russia from until his death on .-Disposition:...
and was the Senior Grand Duke of the House of Romanov during the reign of his nephew, Tsar Nicholas II.
Grand Duke Vladimir followed a military career and occupied important military positions during the reigns of the last three Russian Emperors. Interested in artistic and intellectual pursuits; he was
was appointed President of the Academy of Fine Arts; patron of many artist and sponsor of the Imperial ballet.
During the reign of his father, Tsar Alexander II, he was made Adjutant-General, senator in 1868 and member of the Council of State in 1872. His brother, Alexander III also promoted his career. He was made member of the Council of ministers; Commander of the Imperial Guards Corps and Military Governor of Saint Petersburg. He tried to exert some influence over his nephew Tsar Nicholas II, but had to content himself with holding a rival court with his wife Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna
Marie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (Maria Pavlovna of Russia)
Marie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin was born Marie Alexandrine Elisabeth Eleonore of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, daughter of Grand Duke Frederick Francis II of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Princess Augusta of Reuss-Köstritz...
at his palace in Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
. The events of bloody Sunday
Bloody Sunday (1905)
Bloody Sunday was a massacre on in St. Petersburg, Russia, where unarmed, peaceful demonstrators marching to present a petition to Tsar Nicholas II were gunned down by the Imperial Guard while approaching the city center and the Winter Palace from several gathering points. The shooting did not...
in 1905, while he was military governor of St Peterburg, tarnished his reputation. During the last years of his life, the rift between his family and that of Nicholas II widen. He died after a stroke in 1909. His great granddaughter, Grand Duchess Maria Valdimirovna, is the current claimant to the headship of the Romanov family.
Early life
Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich was born on April 22, 1847 at Tsarskoye SeloTsarskoye Selo
Tsarskoye Selo is the town containing a former Russian residence of the imperial family and visiting nobility, located south from the center of St. Petersburg. It is now part of the town of Pushkin and of the World Heritage Site Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments.-History:In...
, some twenty miles (32 km) outside Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
. He was the fourth child and third son among the eight children of Alexander II of Russia
Alexander II of Russia
Alexander II , also known as Alexander the Liberator was the Emperor of the Russian Empire from 3 March 1855 until his assassination in 1881...
and his wife Maria Alexandrovna, born Duchess Marie of Hesse-Darmstadt.
He was eight years old when at the death of his grand father Nicholas I, his father became Russian Tsar. Grand Duke Vladimir was well educated and through his life he was interested in literature and the arts. However, as all male members of the Romanov family he had to follow a military career. As only the third son in a numerous family, he was far from the succession to the Russian throne. Nevertheless, in 1863, the early death of his eldest brother the Tsarevich Nicholas left Vladimir unexpectedly close to the throne as heir presumptive after his second brother Alexander. Unlike Alexander, the new heir, Vladimir was witty and ambitious. Rumors circulated at the time, that Alexander II would have his eldest surviving son removed from the succession placing Vladimir as his heir. Alexander himself would have preferred to step aside from the succession hoping to marry morganatically, but eventually he yielded to family pressure and married a suitable bride. Relations between the two brothers although cordial were never warm.
A Russian Grand Duke
In 1867 Grand Duke Vladimir was named honorary president of the Russian ethnographic society, the same year he accompanied his father and his brother Alexander to the World Fair in ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, where his father was shot by a polish nationalist. In 1871 he visited the Caucasus region, Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
, Chechnya
Chechnya
The Chechen Republic , commonly referred to as Chechnya , also spelled Chechnia or Chechenia, sometimes referred to as Ichkeria , is a federal subject of Russia . It is located in the southeastern part of Europe in the Northern Caucasus mountains. The capital of the republic is the city of Grozny...
and Dagestan
Dagestan
The Republic of Dagestan is a federal subject of Russia, located in the North Caucasus region. Its capital and the largest city is Makhachkala, located at the center of Dagestan on the Caspian Sea...
with his father and his brothers. In 1872 he accompanied his father to Vienna at the reunion of the three emperors: Russia, Germany and Austria.
In his youth Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich led a restless life of partying and drinking. A member of the European jet set of his time, he made frequent trips to Paris. At the French capital, he was nicknamed "The Grand Duke, bon vivant". His love for the good life let him to be portly at a young age, although later he slimmed down. He had a wide range of interest. He loved the arts; was a skillful painter himself and gathered an important book collection. Not as tall as his brothers, he was handsome with an imposing personalty but could not stand public criticism. He was known for his thunderous voice; was a keen hunter, and a well known gourmet. He gathered a collection of menus copied after meals with adding notations with his impressions about the food.
Marriage
While traveling through Germany with his family in June 1871, Grand Duke Vladimir met Duchess Marie Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-SchwerinMarie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (Maria Pavlovna of Russia)
Marie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin was born Marie Alexandrine Elisabeth Eleonore of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, daughter of Grand Duke Frederick Francis II of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Princess Augusta of Reuss-Köstritz...
(14 May 1854 – 6 September 1920), daughter of Friedrich Franz II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Augusta of Reuss-Köstritz. She was seventeen years old and was already engage to a distant relative, Prince George Schwarzburg. Grand Duke Vladimir was then twenty four. They were smitten with each other. Maria was a great-granddaughter of Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna of Russia, herself a daughter of Emperor Paul I of Russia
Paul I of Russia
Paul I was the Emperor of Russia between 1796 and 1801. He also was the 72nd Prince and Grand Master of the Order of Malta .-Childhood:...
. Therefore, Vladimir was a second cousin of Maria's father Friedrich Franz II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. However, in descent from Frederick William III of Prussia
Frederick William III of Prussia
Frederick William III was king of Prussia from 1797 to 1840. He was in personal union the sovereign prince of the Principality of Neuchâtel .-Early life:...
, the couple were second cousins. In order to marry Vladimir, Maria broke off her previous engagement, but she refused to yield to the necessary conversion to the Orthodox religion. This delayed the couple's engagement for almost two years. Finally, Tsar Alexander II consented the marriage allowing Marie to keep her Lutheran faith and Vladimir would not lose his rights to the Russian throne. The engagement was announced in April 1874.
The wedding took place in Saint Petersburg on 28 August 1874 at the Winter palace. Vladimir's wife adopted the patronymic Pavlovna upon her marriage and was known as Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia. Only decades later, after Vladimir's death, she converted to the Russian Orthodox confession, then, Emperor Nicholas II bestowed her the title "the Orthodox Grand Duchess". Grand Duke Vladimir and his wife were both witty and ambitious. They enjoy entertaining and their residence in St. Petersburg became the heart of the Imperial capital social life. Well suited to each other, they had a long and happy marriage.
Vladimir's palace
By the time of his marriage, construction has already been completed in Vladimir's own residence and he moved there with his wife. Named the Vladimir PalaceVladimir Palace
The Vladimir Palace was the last imperial palace to be constructed in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It was designed by a team of architects for Alexander II's son, Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia...
, it was the last imperial palace to be constructed in Saint Petersburg. Grand Duke Vladimir appointed architect Aleksandr Rezanov responsible for the project because of his knowledge of ancient Russian architecture. Rezanov was assisted by a team of architects: Vasily Kenel
Vasily Kenel
Vasily Alexandrovich Kenel was a Russian architect.He studied in the St.Petersburg Academy of arts, where Konstantin Thon was his teacher. In 1860 he was sent by the Academy abroad as a pensioner for 4 years, where he worked at capturing images from the nature and the figures found at the Pompeii...
, Andrei Huhn, Ieronim Kitner and Vladimir Shreter. The foundation stone was laid on July 15, 1867. Construction work lasted five years, from 1867 to 1872. The furniture was designed by architect Victor Shroeter.
The site chosen for the palace was the Embankment near the Winter Palace
Winter Palace
The Winter Palace in Saint Petersburg, Russia, was, from 1732 to 1917, the official residence of the Russian monarchs. Situated between the Palace Embankment and the Palace Square, adjacent to the site of Peter the Great's original Winter Palace, the present and fourth Winter Palace was built and...
in the center of St Petersburg. It had been previously been occupied by the house of Count Vorontsov Dashkov which had been bought by the treasury. The lot was enlarge by purchasing the neighboring house of Madame Karatinga. The total construction and furnishing cost of Vladimir palace was 820.00 rubles, a much modest amount than the one spent building previous palaces for other grand dukes a decade earlier.
The Vladimir palace stands, like the Winter Palace and the Marble Palace
Marble Palace
Marble Palace is one of the first Neoclassical palaces in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It is situated between the Field of Mars and Palace Quay, slightly to the east from New Michael Palace....
, on the Neva at Dvostsovaya Embankment. The façade, richly ornamented with stucco
Stucco
Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
rustication
Rustication (architecture)
thumb|upright|Two different styles of rustication in the [[Palazzo Medici-Riccardi]] in [[Florence]].In classical architecture rustication is an architectural feature that contrasts in texture with the smoothly finished, squared block masonry surfaces called ashlar...
, was patterned after Leon Battista Alberti's palazzi
Palazzo
Palazzo, an Italian word meaning a large building , may refer to:-Buildings:*Palazzo, an Italian type of building**Palazzo style architecture, imitative of Italian palazzi...
in Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
. The main porch is built of Bremen
Bremen
The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...
sandstone and adorned with griffin
Griffin
The griffin, griffon, or gryphon is a legendary creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle...
s, coats-of-arms, and cast-iron lantern
Lantern
A lantern is a portable lighting device or mounted light fixture used to illuminate broad areas. Lanterns may also be used for signaling, as 'torches', or as general light sources outdoors . Low light level varieties are used for decoration. The term "lantern" is also used more generically to...
s. Other details are cast in portland cement
Portland cement
Portland cement is the most common type of cement in general use around the world because it is a basic ingredient of concrete, mortar, stucco and most non-specialty grout...
.
The palace and its outbuildings contain some 360 rooms, all decorated in eclectic historic styles: Neo-Renaissance
Neo-Renaissance
Renaissance Revival is an all-encompassing designation that covers many 19th century architectural revival styles which were neither Grecian nor Gothic but which instead drew inspiration from a wide range of classicizing Italian modes...
(reception room, parlor), Gothic Revival (dining room), Russian Revival
Russian Revival
The Russian Revival style is the generic term for a number of different movements within Russian architecture that arose in second quarter of the 19th century and was an eclectic melding of pre-Peterine Russian architecture and elements of Byzantine architecture.The Russian Revival style arose...
(Oak Hall), Rococo
Rococo
Rococo , also referred to as "Late Baroque", is an 18th-century style which developed as Baroque artists gave up their symmetry and became increasingly ornate, florid, and playful...
(White Hall), Byzantine style
Byzantine architecture
Byzantine architecture is the architecture of the Byzantine Empire. The empire gradually emerged as a distinct artistic and cultural entity from what is today referred to as the Roman Empire after AD 330, when the Roman Emperor Constantine moved the capital of the Roman Empire east from Rome to...
(study), Louis XIV, various oriental styles, and so on. This interior ornamentation, further augmented by Maximilian Messmacher in 1881-1891, is considered a major monument to the 19th-century passion for historicism
Historicism (art)
Historicism refers to artistic styles that draw their inspiration from copying historic styles or artisans. After neo-classicism, which could itself be considered a historicist movement, the 19th century saw a new historicist phase marked by a return to a more ancient classicism, in particular in...
. Grand Duke Vladimir decorated his apartments with his collection of Russian painting by the best artist of his time such as : Ilya Repin, Ivan Aivazovsky
Ivan Aivazovsky
Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky July 29, 1817 – May 5, 1900) was a Russian world-renowned painter of Armenian descent living and working in Crimea, most famous for his seascapes, which constitute more than half of his paintings...
, Feodor Bruni, Vasili Vereshchagin, Ivan Kramskoy, Mikhail Vrubel
Mikhail Vrubel
Mikhail Aleksandrovich Vrubel is usually regarded amongst the Russian painters of the Symbolist movement. In reality, he deliberately stood aloof from contemporary art trends, so that the origin of his unusual manner should be sought in Late Byzantine and Early Renaissance painting.-Early...
, Nicholas Sverchkov and Rudoplh Frenz.
Children
Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich and his wife Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna had five children:- Grand Duke Alexander Vladimirovich of Russia (31 August 1875 – 16 March 1877). He died in infancy
- Grand Duke Cyril Vladimirovich of RussiaGrand Duke Cyril Vladimirovich of RussiaGrand Duke Cyril Vladimirovich of Russia was a member of the Russian Imperial Family. After the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the deaths of Tsar Nicholas II and his brother Michael, Cyril assumed the Headship of the Imperial Family of Russia and later the title Emperor and Autocrat of all the...
(12 October (N.S.), 1876 – 12 October 1938). He married his fist cousin Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. They had three children. - Grand Duke Boris Vladimirovich of RussiaGrand Duke Boris Vladimirovich of RussiaGrand Duke Boris Vladimirovich of Russia was a son of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia, a grandson of Czar Alexander II of Russia and a first cousin of Czar Nicholas II. He followed a military career and was a Major General in the Russian Army. He took part in the Russo-Japanese War and...
(1877 – 1943). He married his mistress Zinaida Rashevskaya. He did not leave legitimate descendants. - Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich of RussiaGrand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich of RussiaGrand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich of Russia was a Russian grand duke, the youngest son of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia and Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna.-Biography:...
(1879 – 1956). He married his mistress Matilda Kchessinska. He did not leave legitimate descendants. - Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of RussiaGrand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of RussiaGrand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia 17 January 1882 – 13 March 1957, sometimes known as Helen, Helena, Helene, Ellen, Yelena, Hélène, or Eleni, was a Russian grand duchess as the daughter of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia and Duchess Marie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin...
(1882 – 1957). She married Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark, third son of George I of GreeceGeorge I of GreeceGeorge I was King of Greece from 1863 to 1913. Originally a Danish prince, George was only 17 years old when he was elected king by the Greek National Assembly, which had deposed the former king Otto. His nomination was both suggested and supported by the Great Powers...
and Grand Duchess Olga Constantinovna of Russia. They had three daughters.
During three reigns
Grand Duke Vladimir occupied important military positions during three reigns. He experienced the battle fields in the Russo-Turkish War of (1877–1878) attending the war's campaign with his father and brothers Alexander and Sergei. He fought against the Turkish troops as the commanding officer of the XII Corps of the Russian army. However his military career interested him less than art and literature. In 1880, his father appointed him President of the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts. He was also a memeber of the Academy of Science and agent of the Rumyantsev Museum. Grand Duke Vladimir was in the Imperial capital when his father was killed and was succeeded by Alexander III in 1881. It fell upon Vladimir, who regained his composure more quickly than his brother, to announce their father's death to the public. Vladimir inherited his father's personal library which the grand duke added to his large book collection that was arranged in three libraries at the Vladimir Palace. After the Russian revolution these books were sold off randomly by weight and currently form part of several American university collections.Although Alexander III was not close to Vladimir and there was a rivalry between their wives, he promoted his brother's career. The day after their father's death he appointed Vladimir Military Governor of St Petersburg, a post that was previously held by their uncle Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich. Vladimir served on the state council and chaired the official commission that supervised the building of the Cathedral of St. Saviour, built between 1883 and 1907 on the site of the assassination of his father, Tsar Alexander II of Russia.
Grand Duke Vladimir, was a keen philanthropist. A talented painter himself, he became a famous patron of the arts. He frequented many artists and gathered a valuable collection of paintings and old icons. He later took a great interest in ballet. He financed the tour of Diaghilev Ballets Russes.
Emperor Alexander III, had three sons which pushed Vladimir and his own three sons farther away from the succession to the Russian throne. Nevertheless he was unexpectedly close to become Emperor in 1888 when Alexander III with his wife and all of their children were involved in a train accident at Borki
Borki
-Places:*Borki, Lower Silesian Voivodeship *Borki, Bydgoszcz County in Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship *Borki, Rypin County in Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship...
. Vladimir and his wife were at the time in Paris and did not bother to come back to Russia. This annoyed Alexander III who commented that if he would have died with his children, Vladimir would have ruched to return to Russia to become Emperor. At Alexander III's death in 1894 there were unfounded rumors that the army intended to proclaim Grand Duke Vladimir emperor in place of his nephew Nicholas II. over which Vladimir tried to have an influence, particularly at the beginning of Nicholas II’s reign.
Although the grand duke was conservative in his political views, he did not believe in human virtues. A little bit of a rascal himself, he preferred the company of amusing witty people regardless of their ideology or background. The more liberal member of Russian society were invited to lavish parties at his residence. He look with contempt to people less intelligent that himself and considered that he would have made a better emperor than his less gifted brother Alexander III or his ineffectual nephew Nicholas II, Grand Duke Vladimir traveled extensively. Paris was a favorite destination. He became well known in the French capital for his boisterous personality and tremendous voice. He often intimidated people with his coarseness, rudeness and hot temper. He usually complained about the food making a fuss about everything that he disliked, but ended typing generously. Vladimir Alexandrovich was also a devoted family man. He was close to his children.
Last years
In January 1905 a wave of strikes broke out in St. Petersburg. On January 4/22 a peaceful procession of workers lead by a priest, Father Georgy Gapon, marched towards the Winter Palace from different points in the city hoping to present request for reforms directly to Emperor Nicholas II. The Tsar, however, was not in the capital. General Fullon, St Petersburg Governor, tried to stop the march. When a large group of workers reached Winter palace Square, troops acting on direct orders from Guards Commander Prince Vasilchikov, opened fire upon the demonstrators. More than 100 marchers were killed and several hundred were wounded. Although Grand Duke Vladimir claimed no direct responsibility about that tragedy, since he was also away from the city, his reputation was tarnished. The massacre, known as bloody SundayBloody Sunday (1905)
Bloody Sunday was a massacre on in St. Petersburg, Russia, where unarmed, peaceful demonstrators marching to present a petition to Tsar Nicholas II were gunned down by the Imperial Guard while approaching the city center and the Winter Palace from several gathering points. The shooting did not...
, was followed by a series of strikes in other cities, peasant uprisings in the country, and mutinies in the armed forces, which seriously threatened the tsarist regime and became known as the Revolution of 1905. A month after Bloody Sunday, Vladimir's brother Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich was killed by a terrorist bomb in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
.
In October that same year, Vladimir's eldest son and heir Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich of Russia
Grand Duke Cyril Vladimirovich of Russia
Grand Duke Cyril Vladimirovich of Russia was a member of the Russian Imperial Family. After the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the deaths of Tsar Nicholas II and his brother Michael, Cyril assumed the Headship of the Imperial Family of Russia and later the title Emperor and Autocrat of all the...
married his first cousin Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, daughter of Vladimir's sister Maria. This marriage was disapproved by Nicholas II and Kirill was stripped of his imperial titles and sent to exile. Vladimir protested the treatment given to his son and resigned to to all his post in a strife with the Emperor. Although eventually Nicholas II relented and forgave his cousins for marrying without his consent, he did not allow them to return to Russia. The full pardon came only after several deaths in the family, including Vladimir's own, put Kirill third in the line of succession to the Imperial Throne.
Grand Duke Vladimir died suddenly on 4/ 17 February 1909 after suffering a major cerebral hemorrhage.
Vladimir's widow and their four children survived the Russian Revolution of 1917
Russian Revolution of 1917
The Russian Revolution is the collective term for a series of revolutions in Russia in 1917, which destroyed the Tsarist autocracy and led to the creation of the Soviet Union. The Tsar was deposed and replaced by a provisional government in the first revolution of February 1917...
. In 1924 in exile, Kirill proclaimed himself Emperor. Vladimir's line has thus received the headship of the Imperial House. Vladimir was the paternal grandfather and namesake of the future pretender claimant Grand Duke Vladimir of Russia
Grand Duke Vladimir of Russia
Vladimir Cyrillovich, Grand Duke of Russia was the Head of the Imperial Family of Russia and Titular Emperor and Autocrat of all the Russias from 1938 to his death.-Early...
, born 1917. Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich's great granddaughter, Grand Duchess Maria Valdimirovna, is the current claimant.