Born in Tbilisi while his father was the Governor-General of Russian provinces of Transcaucasia, he was the second surviving son of Grand Duke Michael Nikolaevich of Russia and Princess Cecilie of Baden.

His paternal grandparents were Emperor Nicholas I of Russia and Princess Charlotte of Prussia.

His maternal grandparents were Leopold, Grand Duke of Baden and Princess Sophie of Sweden.

On 29 January 1919, George was moved to Peter and Paul Fortress in Petrograd, and in the early hours of the following day, he was shot there by a firing squad, along with his brother, Grand Duke Nicholas Mikhailovich, and his cousins Grand Dukes Paul Alexandrovich and Dmitri Constantinovich.

On 30 April 1900 at Corfu, Grand Duke George married Princess Maria, daughter of King George I of the Hellenes and Grand Duchess Olga Constantinovna of Russia.