Almost all members of the Romanov House were creative individuals, and the young prince Vladimir Paley, son of Grand Duke Pavel Alexandrovich from a morganatic marriage, was no exception.

Vladimir Pavlovich was born on January 9, 1897, in St. Petersburg. Due to his unequal marriage, his father was forced to leave Russia, and Vladimir's childhood was spent in France. Despite this, he spoke Russian fluently and considered it his native language. Since 1904, he held the title of Count von Hohenfelzen, granted to him by a Bavarian prince. In 1908, Grand Duke Pavel Alexandrovich obtained permission for his son to study in Russia. Thus, the future poet and Orthodox martyr Vladimir Paley received an excellent education, which was considered the best in Europe at that time.

From an early age, Vladimir displayed creative abilities, starting to write poetry that impressed even his relative Konstantin Konstantinovich, a well-known poet. He translated his book into French and earned praise during a personal meeting with the author.

In 1914, World War I began, and Ensign of His Majesty's Hussar Regiment Count Vladimir Hohenfelzen voluntarily went to the front, where he distinguished himself with honor. For his heroism, Nicholas II granted him the princely title and the surname Paley. Contemporaries admired his bravery and gentle nature. Before the February Revolution, he was awarded the Order of Saint Anna of the 4th degree with the inscription 'For Bravery.' However, the era of heroism in the Russian army came to an end, and tragic events lay ahead.

After the February Revolution, Lieutenant Vladimir Paley was dismissed due to his background. The Provisional Government did not execute him, but the young prince watched the events in Russia with pain. During those days, he wrote poignant poems that sounded as if created by a mature person, not a 20-year-old youth. Vladimir seemed to be in a hurry to live and once confessed to his sister that he would soon stop writing poetry, as if sensing his fate.

In March 1918, the fateful moment arrived, which Vladimir had anticipated since the collapse of Russia. He was summoned for interrogation by the chairman of the Petrograd Cheka, Uritsky, who suggested that he renounce his father to avoid the fate of the Romanovs. With indignation, 21-year-old Vladimir refused. He was arrested and, along with other Romanovs, was exiled to the Urals, where on the night of July 18, 1918, all the prisoners were brutally killed.

After the arrival of the Whites, the remains of the martyrs were extracted from the mine, dressed, taken to the local cathedral, and buried. However, with the approach of the Reds, General Dieterichs transported the coffins with the bodies to Chita, and then, with the funds of Ataman Semenov, they were transferred to China. The exact location of the remains of the Alapaev martyrs, except for Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna and her maid Varvara, is unknown.

The memory of the young prince lives on today. In 1981, he was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia among the ranks of the New Martyrs. Many of his poems have become songs and are actively performed by contemporaries.