On his 21st birthday on 10 April 1868, Grand Duke Vladimir was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir 4th class in recognition of his excellent service. Thereafter he attained higher classes of the Order, receiving the 2nd class with swords in September 1877 for commanding the 12th Corps of the Army in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878. In 1883, he was given the 1st class after the Coronation of Alexander III at which he commanded all the troops participating in Moscow.
Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia (Великий князь Владимир Александрович; 22 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.
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 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. He died after a stroke in 1909.
