| Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich | |
|---|---|
 Vladimir Alexandrovich, c. 1894 | |
| Born | 22 April 1847 Winter Palace, Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire |
| Died | 17 February 1909 (aged 61) Vladimir Palace, Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire |
| Burial | Grand Ducal Mausoleum, Fortress of St. Peter and Paul, St. Petersburg, Russian Empire |
| Spouse | |
| Issue | Grand Duke Alexander Vladimirovich Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich Grand Duke Boris Vladimirovich Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich Elena Vladimirovna, Princess Nicholas of Greece |
| House | Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov |
| Father | Alexander II of Russia |
| Mother | Marie of Hesse and by Rhine |
| Religion | Russian Orthodoxy |
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| Conservatism in Russia |
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Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia (Russian: Влади́мир Александрович; 22[1] April 1847 – 17 February 1909) was a son of Emperor Alexander II of Russia, a brother of Emperor Alexander III of Russia and the senior Grand Duke of the House of Romanov during the reign of his nephew, Emperor 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 appointed President of the Academy of Fine Arts. He functioned as a patron of many artists and as a sponsor of the Imperial ballet.[2]
During the reign of his father, Emperor Alexander II, he was made Adjutant-General, senator in 1868 and a member of the Council of State in 1872. His brother, Alexander III, also promoted his career. He became a member of the Council of Ministers, Commander of the Imperial Guards Corps[3] 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 Petersburg, tarnished his reputation. During the last years of his life, the rift between his family and that of Nicholas II widened.[4] He died after a stroke in 1909.
- ^ Gregorian calendar date. The Russian (Julian) calendar date is 10 April. See Comte Paul Vasili, La Sainte Russie : la cour, l'armée, le clergé, la bourgeoisie et le peuple, Libraire de Firmin-Didot et Cie, Paris, 1890
- ^ Perry & Pleshakov, The Flight of the Romanovs , p. 35
- ^ Alexander, Once a Grand Duke, p. 139
- ^ Zeepvat, Romanov Autumn, p. 98