▁residence , ▁the ▁Vladimir ▁Villa . ▁He ▁was ▁the ▁young est ▁of ▁the ▁four ▁Vlad im iro v ich ▁sons ; ▁a ▁sister ▁followed ▁him ▁a ▁few ▁years ▁later , ▁and ▁the ▁el dest ▁of ▁his ▁brothers ▁died ▁in ▁early ▁child hood . ▁His ▁father , ▁Grand ▁Duke ▁Vladimir ▁Alexand rov ich , ▁a ▁brother ▁of ▁Ts ar ▁Alexander ▁III ▁of ▁Russia , ▁was ▁a ▁ren owned ▁patron ▁of ▁the ▁arts . ▁And rei ’ s ▁mother , ▁Grand ▁Duch ess , ▁Maria ▁Pav lov na , ▁n ée ▁a ▁Princess ▁of ▁Me ck len burg - Sch wer in , ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁greatest ▁host esses ▁of ▁Russian ▁society . ▁Both ▁parents ▁d oted ▁on ▁their ▁four ▁surv iving ▁children : ▁And rei , ▁his ▁two ▁el dest ▁brothers , ▁Kir ill ▁and ▁Bor is , ▁and ▁their ▁younger ▁sister , ▁Grand ▁Duch ess ▁El ena . ▁The ▁children ▁were ▁educated ▁at ▁home . ▁ ▁R ais ed ▁by ▁British ▁n ann ies , ▁English ▁was ▁And rei ' s ▁first ▁language . ▁He ▁also ▁learned ▁Russian , ▁French ▁and ▁German . ▁His ▁father , ▁who ▁loved ▁art , ▁assigned ▁Lé on ▁Bak st ▁as ▁a ▁drawing ▁master ▁for ▁the ▁children . ▁Grand ▁Duke ▁And rei ▁grew ▁up ▁in ▁op ul ence . ▁The ▁family ' s ▁main ▁residence ▁was ▁the ▁Vladimir ▁Palace ▁in ▁Saint ▁Petersburg , ▁but ▁as ▁his ▁father ▁preferred ▁country ▁life , ▁they ▁spent ▁the ▁greater ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁year ▁at ▁the ▁Vladimir ▁Villa , ▁a ▁m ansion