Saint Vladimir Paley

Prince Vladimir Pavlovich Paley (Russian: Князь Владимир Павлович Палей; 9 January 1897 – 18 July 1918) was a Russian nobleman and poet who was murdered by the Bolsheviks when he was 21 years old. He was born as Vladimir von Pistohlkors in Saint Petersburg, Russia, on 9 January 1897. His father was Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich of Russia, the youngest child of Emperor Alexander II. His mother was his father's mistress, Olga Valerianovna Karnovich, who was still married to Erich Gerhard von Pistohlkors at that time. He was nicknamed "Volodia" by his family. In 1902, Grand Duke Paul—a widower after his short marriage to Princess Alexandra of Greece and Denmark, with whom he had two children before her premature death in childbirth—wed Olga morganatically. In 1904, she was created Countess von Hohenfelsen by Prince Regent Luitpold of Bavaria, thus providing Vladimir with the title of Count Vladimir von Hohenfelsen. In 1915, Olga was created Princess Paley by Nicholas II, which allowed Vladimir to use the title of Prince Paley. Prince Vladimir had two elder half-siblings from his father's marriage to Alexandra Georgievna of Greece, née Princess Alexandra of Greece and Denmark: Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia and Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich of Russia. His birth and existence was hidden from them for the first five years of his life. His half-sister found out about Vladimir from a photograph hidden in their father's pocket. He had two full sisters, both of whom eventually were styled as Her Serene Highness Princess Paley: Irina Pavlovna and Natalia Pavlovna. He also had three half-siblings from his mother's first marriage: Alexander Erikovich von Pistohlkors, Olga Erikovna von Pistohlkors, and Marianna Erikovna (or Marianne) von Pistohlkors. He spent his childhood in Paris and later graduated from the Corps des Pages, an aristocratic military school in Saint Petersburg.