Vladimir Paley was a Russian nobleman, poet, and military officer born in Saint Petersburg in 1897. As the son of Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich, he held the title of Prince Paley. During the First World War, he served as a lieutenant in the Emperor's Hussars and received the Order of Saint Anne for his service. A gifted writer, he published volumes of poetry and various plays. His life ended prematurely in 1918 when he was executed by Bolshevik forces in a mineshaft near Alapayevsk.
Life and death
Raised partly in Paris, Paley studied at an aristocratic military school before joining the army in 1914. His literary talents were evident from a young age, though a poem regarding Aleksandr Kerensky led to a brief period of house arrest in 1917. Following the revolution, he was arrested and exiled, eventually meeting his death alongside several relatives during the Bolshevik crackdown in Alapayevsk.
Veneration
Because of his death at the hands of the revolutionaries, he is recognized as a martyr. He is venerated as a saint within the Orthodox and Catholic traditions. His remains were eventually moved to the Russian Mission Orthodox cemetery in Beijing, where he was laid to rest.